


TwinChesters -Season 1

by GLWilliams97



Series: The TwinChesters [1]
Category: Dark Angel (TV), Supernatural
Genre: Crossover, Daddy Dean, Escape, Father Dean, Fatherhood, Gen, Hurt Alec, Hurt Ben, Hurt Dean, Hurt Sam, Hurt/Comfort, Manticore, One Big Happy Family, Other, Parent Dean Winchester, Season 1, Seizures, Transgenic, Uncle Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-04-22 11:51:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 153,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14308062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GLWilliams97/pseuds/GLWilliams97
Summary: When Dean collects Sam from Stanford at the start of season 1, he has an extra two small passengers in the back seat.Can Ben and Alec help Sam and Dean fight the supernatural and search for their father? Can Sam and Dean help Ben and Alec stay off of Manticore's radar and search for the other children? Can they become a family together?Mostly follows the events of Supernatural season 1, just with the clones added in. Though flash backs and extra chapters will be there to give Ben and Alec more screen time.This story is also posted on my Fanfiction account.Updated as much as possible :)





	1. Episode 1, Pilot (part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or Dark Angel :(  
> For this story, the Dark angel timeline is set back a few years. The escape in 2009 now happens in 2005, and Alec joins the originals in the escape.  
> In the story Dean has already met Ben and Alec, during the season there will be flashbacks to show how Dean met his clones. So, don't worry, you'll get to see his reaction to the boys  
> There will also be flashbacks on other stuff like the escape from Manticore or hunts that boys did with Dean and John, before finding Sam.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 1  
Episode 1 (Pilot).

Dean pulls the Impala to a stop in front of a block of apartments. Turing off the engine, he turns slightly towards the back seats.

"Okay Maggots" Dean jokes, making Ben and Alec giggle, "remember what we talked about?"

The boys nod.

Dean turns to face them fully, "tell me".

Alec huffs in annoyance before saying, "We are to call you dad all the time now, because you don't want to fill Sam in on the whole being clones and Manticore crap just yet".

"John is grandpa and we call Sam, uncle Sam" Ben continues.

"We need to act like normal, boring kids and not show off our skills. Basically, not be awesome" Alec sighs.

"We are 8 years old and our mother dumped us on you when she recognized you, as you and grandpa stopped in our 'home town' about half a year ago" Ben finishes.

"Good" Dean says and opens his door, "and Alec, your clones of me. No matter what, you're awesome"

Alec grins as Dean exists the Impala and walks towards the building Sam lives in.

"Remember to act innocent and childlike" Ben says.

Rolling his eyes, Alec replies "I wasn't genetically made yesterday Ben. I know how we have to act till Dean tells Sam what we really are".

"Just reminding you, as you have a bad tendency to not listen and not do as you're told. It's why you always got into trouble at Manticore".

Alec glares and resists the urge to punch his twin. Sometimes his brother really annoyed him with always reminding him that he was the perfect one, while Alec was not.

Dean didn't care that Alec wasn't perfect. In fact, Dean was always telling Ben to chill out with his OCD, cuz he wasn't going to yell at them or ditch them just because they asked some questions.

Especially after that big fight he and Ben had had a couple of months ago, when Dean and John had sat down and talked to them separately about what they expected and some heart-felt stuff.

Alec had hoped after the talk, that Ben would be better...

But Ben was still Ben. No matter what John or Dean said to him, everything still had to be perfect or else he thinks they'll get rid of them. That of course mean's Alec must be perfect too, or else Ben has a go at him, cuz John and Dean will make them go because of his 'bad behaviour'. Alec didn't think he was bad. He just liked asking questions... and maybe, just maybe he was a bit hyper, but transgenics have a lot of energy with all the training they do a day.

He left Manticore because Ben said that they could find somewhere better, somewhere where there were no rules or yelling. Yet Ben was trying to make Alec follow rules and yelling at him, calling him bad, when he didn't listen. His twin really needed to make up his mind about what he wanted.

Alec sighs... Okay, he was being a bit harsh on his brother. Ben has actually changed after the talk with Dean and John. He still wanted everything to be perfect and was worried about Dean getting rid of them... but Ben did stop making rules for Alec to follow, he just enforced the ones Dean put in place, and he stopped calling Alec 'bad' all the time. Sure, Ben still called him bad from time to time, but he had gotten a lot better at not doing it, ever since the fight. He was trying.

Plus... he could understand that Ben just wanted to make John and Dean happy so that they would let them stay with them, because they were really nice. They got them food and clothes and let them travel with them, even knowing they weren't fully human. Both Alec and Ben knew it was most likely because Dean was their DNA donor so he felt responsible, but it was still nice.

Manticore never treated them as good as this. That's why Ben wanted to be perfect. He didn't want to risk losing John or Dean.

He just had to hope that over time Ben will start feeling more confident in the fact that Dean doesn't need him to perfect.

Alec just wasn't as insecure as Ben was. Ben might have been the older clone, but he needed more comfort and reassurance. Alec didn't. Alec was big and brave. He could have survived all by himself after the escape... but it was nice having Dean and John around.

Alec didn't need the hug's and didn't need to be carried, like Ben always milked while in public. Alec was grown up... Though he did enjoy being up high whenever he was forced to be carried.

It was also nice being in public and having Dean act like their dad. Not that Alec would admit that. Ever. It would totally ruin his street cred... Alec's been watching a lot of TV.  
Alec remember when he first bumped into Dean and John, and he really did bump into them _... ... ..._

_It had been almost 2 months since the escape from Manticore. Even though Ben's unit leader had told them to split up, Alec stuck with Ben. Not because he was scared, Alec doesn't get scared, but because he was making sure Ben didn't get scared._

_They had been running pretty much none stop. They would briefly stop for a couple of hours for food and sleep. They stopped in a smallish town in Idaho to gather some supplies. Well steal some, much to Ben's dismay, but Alec joy. He loved the thrill of stealing. It was fun. Ben frowned upon it, but he accepted that it had to happen, as Alec had pointed out, if they don't eat, they would grow weak, and Manticore could get them._

_It was just really bad luck that Manticore where searching the closest states to them, looking for the missing children. Hoping they hadn't gotten too far yet._  
_While him and Ben were in a store, their enhanced hearing heard the horribly familiar sounds of Manticore cars and soldiers close by. Knowing they had to get out know before Manticore found them and closed off the town, Ben and Alec took off out of the shop in a moment of panic, not noticing the two men just outside the shop door, and running face first into them._

_If he wasn't in a hurry to get out of the town, Alec would have had tears running down his face from laughing at the men's faces. Both of them looked a mixture of shock and horror, and the younger one looked like he would have passed out._

_Getting up off the floor both Ben and Alec try to take off, however the older, scary looking man grabbed them._

_Both Ben and Alec knew they could have taken both men without even blinking, but that would have drawn attention, so they let the man drag them away, till they were somewhere private, so they could get away._

_To cut the story short, there was punches and shouting and a heck of a lot of confusion, but eventually Ben and Alec were sat in the back of the men's car and were driving out of the town, away from the Manticore soldiers... ... ..._

Good times, Alec grins at the memory of Deans face. The big, macho man almost fainting at the sight of him and Ben.

He shifts his attention to look outside, when he hears footsteps and arguing coming closer.

He can see Dean and a taller man walking down the stairs. Looking at Ben, they share a look, knowing it's show time.

The conversation, well argument, gets clearer now and Ben and Alec can fully hear it.

"The weapon training, and melting the silver into bullets? Man, Dean, we were raised like warriors" the taller man, Sam, says.

"So, what are you gonna do? You're just gonna live some normal, apple pie life? Is that it?" Dean says approaching the Impala.

"No. Not normal. Safe".

"And that's why you ran away".

"I was just going to college. It was Dad who said if I was gonna go I should stay gone. And that's what I'm doing".

"Yeah, well, Dad's in real trouble right now. If he's not dead already. I can feel it".

**...**  
Alec and Ben can practically taste the tension in the air.  
**...**

"I can't do this alone" Dean continues.

"Yes, you can".

"Yeah, well, I don't want to".

**...**  
Alec huffs "he's not alone! He's got us"

"Shhh" whispers Ben, trying to keep his twin quiet so he could listen to Dean and Sam's conversation.  
**...**

They hear Sam sigh, "What was he hunting?"

Dean opens the trunk of the Impala and digs through the clutter, "All right, let's see, where the hell did I put that thing?"

"So, when Dad left, why didn't you go with him?"

"I was working my own gig. This, uh, voodoo thing, down in New Orleans".

"Dad let you go on a hunting trip by yourself?"

"Dude! I'm twenty-six".

Finally finding what he needed, Dean pulls out some files.

"All right, here we go. So, Dad was checking out this two-lane blacktop just outside of Jericho, California. About a month ago, this guy", Dean hands one of the papers to Sam,

"They found his car, but he vanished. Completely MIA".

Sam reads the files and glances up, "maybe he was kidnapped".

"Yeah. Well, here's another one in April. Another one in December 'oh-four, 'oh-three, 'ninety-eight, 'ninety-two, ten of them over the past twenty years" Showing Sam all the missing posters, "All men, all the same five-mile stretch of road. It started happening more and more, so Dad went to go dig around. That was about three weeks ago. I hadn't heard from him since, which is bad enough".

Dean pulls out a handheld tape recorder, "Then I get this voicemail yesterday".

**...**  
Alec and Ben listen as Dean presses play and hear the recording they've listen to about time ten's, again.  
**...**

"Dean...something big is starting to happen...I need to try and figure out what's going on. It may... Be very careful, Dean. We're all in danger" John's voice says before the recording cuts.

"You know there's EVP on that?" Sam says.

"Not bad, Sammy. Kinda like riding a bike, isn't it?" Dean smirks, "All right. I slowed the message down, I ran it through a gold wave, took out the hiss, and this is what I got".

"I can never go home..." Dean stops the recording.

"Never go home" Sam repeats.

Dean closes the trunk, "You know, in almost two years I've never bothered you, never asked you for a thing"

Sam sighs, "All right. I'll go. I'll help you find him"

**...**  
"You're damn right you'll help" Alec says.

"Alec! quiet" Ben hisses, forgetting about being quiet himself.  
**...**

Sam pauses before continuing, "But I have to get back first thing Monday".

"What's first thing Monday?"

"I have this...I have an interview".

"What, a job interview? Skip it".

"It's a law school interview, and it's my whole future on a plate".

"Law school?" Dean smirks

**...**  
"Ha! Law school. He's a nerd!" Alec laughs.

"Alec be quiet! Dean is having an important conversation" Ben glares.

"Yeah but Dean wants us to act like normal kids, and normal kids aren't quiet" Alec pokes his tongue out.

"You'll get us in trouble! Don't be bad" Ben raises his voice slightly.

"You're not allowed to call me that anymore! Dean says so" Alec fully yells.  
**...**

"Dean... What's that?" Sam says as he hears small voices coming from the car.

"Uh..." Dean rubs his neck, "That would be Ben and Alec. Most likely Alec though".

"Ben and Alec?"

Dean nods and he walks over to the back door. Opening it, he signals for whoever Ben and Alec were, to get out.

Sam's eyes widen in disbelief as he sees two little boys crawl out of the Impala, and almost fall out of his eye sockets when the boy's face him.

He found himself staring at a face he hasn't seen in like …15 years, give or take. But not just one face, two faces.

Finding his voice Sam asks, "What did you do Dean?"

Smirking Dean replies, "Don't you mean, who did I do?"

He watches as one boy laughs at what Dean said, while the other shakes his head, though has a slight smile on his face.

"Oh my God" Sam says.

One boy suddenly has a smirk appear on his face before opening his mouth, "Nice to meet you, Uncle Sammy".

"Holy Crap" Sam mutters.

The other boy speaks up, "That's a bad word Uncle Sam".

"Uh huh" The other one nods, "Now you have to put a dollar in the treat jar".

"Alec, we don't have a treat jar" Dean says.

"Well we should".

"Stop being demanding" the other boy glares.

"Stop being bossy".

"Boys enough" Dean interrupts the auguring children, before turning to Sam and gives him a shit eating grin, "So... how you feeling Uncle Sammy?"

"Haha, dad. He looks as pale as you did!" Alec grins, while the other, Ben, rolls eyes but does give a smile.

"I was not pale" Dean protests.

"Sorry dad, but you were" Ben says.

Dean ignores the warm feeling he has recently been feeling whenever Ben or Alec call him that.

"Dad?" Sam says, "They're... They're really yours?"

"Thought that was kind of obvious Sam" Dean grins.

"Does dad know about them?"

Dean nods, while Alec answers "Grampa's cool. Kinda grouchy sometimes, but cool".

Sam's eyebrows reach the sky, "Grampa? What the hell has happened since I left?"

"Well you're in college uncle Sam, so your smart. What do you think happened?" Alec says.

"Alec" Dean says with a slight warning in his voice making Alec sigh.

"Wow..." Sam says watching the interaction, "this is...this is weird".

"I know" Dean nods, "but can't change what's happened so, Sam meet your nephews, Ben" Dean puts his hand on the boy wearing a blue jumper, "and Alec, "he puts his hand on the red jumper boy.

"I don't even..." Sam struggles to find words.

"Don't worry, after a while you get to know which one is which, just by the look on their faces or their actions".

Alec narrows his eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It mean's Al, that you're one of a kind... And that I know you and what your like" Dean says, then looks at Sam, "If you ever need to know which ones which, just look for a mischievous look, and that's Alec. Benny's less likely to cause mischief".

Ben took that as a complement and smiles at Dean.

"How... When..." Sam begins.

"Story for later. It's late and time for bed"

Alec groans and complains, while Dean looks at Ben, giving him a message.

"Are you going to be coming with us on our road trip uncle Sam?" Ben says understanding what Dean wanted. He even threw in a yawn at the end, to look like a cute kid.

Alec understanding what was going on, joins in, "Dad said grandpa had to go back to work, so you might want to come with us. He said we might go see the biggest ball of yarn! How cool is that!"

Dean had said that weeks ago, as one of his cat jokes, because of Ben and Alec's cat DNA. He like to make jokes about it from time to time, much to both boy's irritation. He brought up the ball of yarn, saying that Ben and Alec would love to play with it because they were half cat. He just got groans of annoyance from both clones at the poor joke.

"So, you in or out?" Dean asks.

Sam sighs, his brain working over time trying to understand everything that's happened. He looks from Dean to the children... His brother's children... He doesn't remember Dean ever being as good at the puppy eye as Ben and Alec seem to be.

Sam groans, "Just let me go grab some stuff".

He finds it completely freaky seeing three of the same grin looking back at him.

"It was the ball of yarn that won you over, wasn't it uncle Sammy!" Alec concludes.


	2. Pilot (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean talks to Sam about the twins, then the twins remind Sam of the house rules.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter, with a couple of flashbacks.  
> The flashback for the conversation between Alec/Ben and Dean/John about who and what they are, will not happen yet. I am deliberately going around that, but don't worry! You will see that flashback, I just want work up to it a little bit, I guess.  
> I would like to say that not all chapters will have a flashback. Just a heads up.  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Chapter 2  
Episode 1 (Pilot).

Dean herds the boys into the Impala as Sam heads back into his apartment.

"So that's Sam" Alec says, "He's really tall".

"Don't remind me" Dean huffs, before turning back to his clones, "Go to sleep".

"Not tired" Alec protests.

"Alec!" Ben hisses, "Do as you're told".

"It's ok Ben" Dean reassures him, "Remember you are children now, not soldiers. If you don't do as you're told, we don't get rid of you, you just go in time out".

"So, I'm going to have time out just because I'm not tired!" Alec shouts.

"No, but you might get a time out for yelling" Dean glares at him, "remember the ground rules we set".

"You said that we're kids, kids don't do as their told".

"Yes, but they also do, do as they're told, while still not always doing as they're told".

Alec scrunches his face, "What?"

"You're sending mixed signals" Ben says.

Dean sighs and rubs his face. He's going to be grey by the time he reaches 30.

"Children need to be rebellious, but they also need to listen and obey rules, because they are set for their own good" Dean says, "It is very late, so you need to sleep".

"We've told you, transgenic's don't need as much sleep as normal people" Alec pointed out.

"But children do and you are children now. Do you want to keep arguing with me and lose your telly privileges?" Dean says in a tone that Alec could tell was final, "And remember, Sam thinks you are normal children, so you have to act like it in-front of him. He'll be in the Impala, so you need to act like children, and children sleep. Some children even have naps during the day and during road trips".

"Plus, you can't talk about the case in front of us when Sam is around" Ben concludes, understanding Dean's message, "So, when we are _'sleeping'_ you'll talk about the case and we can listen and still be involved, without Sam's knowledge".

"Exactly Benny" Dean reaches over and messes up Ben's hair.

Through the back-window Dean sees Sam walking back down the steps.

"Looks like it's bed time" Dean says, pinning Alec with a look, to stop the boy from complaining.

"Fine" Alec sighs, "but I'm only doing this, so I can eavesdrop"

Dean smiles and shake his head. Ben and Alec grab the blanket and two cushions, that John and Dean had gotten soon after the kids had joined them, for when Ben and Alec wanted or needed to take a nap while driving.

Ben and Alec lay down, top to tail. Alec propped himself up against the door slightly with his pillow, while Ben lay down completely on the back seat on the other side. The boy's being slightly smaller than average size, mean's the blanket easily covers both of them.

The mini Dean's close their eyes and slow their breathing down slightly as Sam clambers into the passenger seat.

Dean stops him from throwing his bag into the back, "Whoa! Careful. Remember there are little people in the back now, and they're sleeping".

"Right" Sam says, slowly placing his bag down, "This is weird".

"You said that already" Dean starts the Impala up and drives off.

"H-how does this even happen?".

Dean smirks, "Well, when two people-".

"Dean! That was not what I meant and you know it".

Sighing Dean says, "About half a year ago, me and dad rolled into a town in Idaho. Turns out we'd been a hunt near there before".

"I'm guessing about… what? 8 or 9 years ago" Sam says, then pauses for a second, "How… how old are they?"

"They're 8. So, it would have been around 9-ish years ago".

"Right, okay… so you arrived into the town and…"

Dean continues, "A women recognized me, from a night we had together, well several nights actually" he smirks.

"Dean" Sam bitch faces him.

"The women, Ben and Alec's mother, basically handed them off on me once she realised I was the guy she slept with, to create those two".

"And dad just accepted that? I know they look just like you, so much so that they could be your clones or something, but didn't you or dad think to do a paternity test?"

"Of course we did Sam. They're mine, 100%, she didn't want them so me and dad took them".

Dean remembers how, once they were a couple towns over, John saying he was going to contact a doctor, who was a friend of his, who could discreetly do a DNA test, just to make sure what Ben and Alec had said was true... ... ...

_"Dad, you said it yourself. They look just like me" Dean said, "Even down to the freckles"._

_"This is just to make sure Dean" John glared, "Yes they look like you, but there are billions of people in the world. Some people are going to look the same."_

_The older man had already ruled out the mini looking Dean's as anything supernatural... Or at least anything supernatural that they know about. Which they hope is most._

_They just seemed like ordinary boys._

_Apart from what they said about them being genetically enhanced super soldiers with animal DNA._

_Ben and Alec just sat quietly on the bed, watching the men argue. Well it wasn't much of an argument, it was more of Dean weakly defending Alec and Ben's story and John just shutting him down._

_"Dad-"._

_"Dean enough. We'll have the tests done to confirm that their your clones"._

_Dean asks, "What happens if they really are me, my clones?"._

_John sighs and looks at the boys. The boys that had his son's face, and unknowingly each boy were the two sides of Dean. Alec the smart ass. Covered his feelings with sarcastic remarks and banter. Whereas Ben was the softer side that Dean barely showed, but had. Quiet and thoughtful._

_Looking at them, John knew, while he should send them on their way, he wouldn't be able too._

_Either way the boys would be screwed. He makes them leave, they would be alone against Manticore and eventually when the boys get older and look even more like Dean, it could lead to the supernatural mistaking them for him..._

_He lets the boys stay and they'd be dragged into the supernatural hunting world, that he couldn't stop Sam or Dean from living._

_...But with them, Alec and Ben wouldn't be alone... They'd have him and Dean to watch their backs, something the boys wouldn't have had much of._

_"If there your clones, then I guess you'll have two extra passengers in the Impala" John says eventually._

_Both Alec and Ben feel a warm feeling run through their bodies. Neither of them knew what the warmth was, but it felt nice._

_They were prepared, expected, for Dean and John to tell them to get lost. However, they're letting them stay_

_A few days later the group of 4 were now on the road with the knowledge that Alec and Ben really were a mixture of Dean and cat DNA... ... ..._

"Do they know?" Sam asks.

"We considering they called me dad, yeah" Dean says.

"I meant, do they know about the supernatural? What you and dad do?"

Dean knew once Sam found out the truth about the boys, he was going to flip at him for lying, but right now wasn't the time. They'd find dad and then talk about the twins.

"No. They don't know about the things that go bump in the night" Dean lies, "They just think me and dad are overprotective".

"So, you're lying to them?"

Dean glares at him, "What would you prefer? Lying to them and letting them be kids, like I would have thought you would be behind. Or telling them the truth and giving them guns?", he just couldn't win with Sam.

Even though Ben and Alec do know the truth, Dean refused to let them have guns, no matter how much they told him they had been using them since they could walk. He also refused to let them go on hunts the he deemed too dangerous. Especially after what happened on the first hunt John and Dean took them on, to show them that the supernatural was real. The occasional small ghost case was fine, so they didn't get too board, but anything else Dean refused to let them do anything more than research.

The twins found it very annoying. They were super soldiers, and they told Dean that repeatedly till they were blue in the face. Didn't change Dean's mind at all.

John had found it quite amusing. Watching his son, who was usually quite carefree, suddenly become...well a parent. He did feel a little sorry for him though. He only had one Dean to look after, Dean has two of him to look after. But John had to painfully admit, Dean was doing a better job at being a father then him.

Sam sighs, "Sorry, you're right. This is better. Them not knowing and letting them be kids", Sam pauses before continuing, "It's weird seeing you as a dad, but it actually suits you".

Dean huffs.

Sam cut's him off from putting himself down, "Seriously Dean, you practically raised me, and now you have these two. You seemed to be doing a better job than dad-".

"Sam-"

"No Dean, you are. You saying that you want them to be kids and not telling them about the supernatural, is a step better then what dad did".

"Yeah well" Dean says to end the conversation, stopping Sam from making him feel guilty for lying.

"What did dad think about not telling them".

"He wanted them to know, but eventually... I dunno, guess he decided that they were my responsibility so I chose whether to tell them or not. I think he saw... sees them as a second chance".

Sam nods but doesn't say anything more about John.

"So, what did... uh Alec, mean by I was as pale as you?"

"I may have been slightly caught off guard by the twin's appearance" Dean says begrudgingly, "I wasn't they only one though, dad was too! He was lost for words".

Dean remember the way his heart stopped beating and his lungs stopped breathing the second he saw Ben and Alec. The second he saw his 8-year-old face, doubled... ... ...

_Him and dad had arrived in this small town in Idaho. There had been a vengeful spirit doing what vengeful spirits do and killing people. Dean and John had gotten rid of the spirit the last night and were getting ready to leave town, once they grab some stuff for the road._

_They were walking passed some shops, when one of the doors were flung open, and two small children ran out and into them, sending the children to the ground._

_He could tell dad was about to bark at the children, to watch where they were going. However instead, his dad took a step back._

_Dean looked at his father, and saw complete confusion and shock on his face, while staring at the children on the ground. Wanting to know what had his dad at a loss for words, Dean looks down to see the children, which led to him feeling light headed._

_He was seeing double of his child-self. He was going to throw up, or pass out... or both._

_The boys got up at tried running passed them, but John grabbed them both before they could get too far. Then proceeded to drag the children towards the direction of the motel._

_The conversation that took place once they were in the motel room was a long, confusing and weird one, but at the end of it all 4 of them were driving out of the town together... ... ..._

After a few minutes, Dean looks in his rear-view mirror and smirks when he sees that the fake sleeping had caused Ben and Alec to fall asleep for real.

"What are they like? The boys?" Sam asks and he notices how Dean's face looks as though it almost lights up.

"Alec and Ben are almost opposites. Alec is into everything. Never give him sugar because he is already hyper all day long as it is and finds it hard to sit still. He's hilarious and gives as good as he gets. You make fun of him and he has a comeback at the ready. He's a bit of a smart-ass. He's great at pranks, however don't start a prank war with him, because even I must admit, he's better than me. He will not stop till he's won and he can get damn creative. He's not so good at expressing his feelings in a good way, he has a bit of an anger problem, but we're working on it. He doesn't like rules, but he needs them. He has his moment's where he can be rather shy and quiet, when he feels unsure, but he always tries to hide his fear. He doesn't like to show when he's worried or scared. Most of the time he's just a bundle of energetic fun." Dean rambles on with a smile on his face.

Sam had to say, he like seeing his brother like this. Happy.

"Now Ben, he's the older twin, but only by about… like 10 minutes or so I believe. He's calmer then Alec, but when he's in the mood, he can be just as mischievous. He's a lot quieter and is able to keep himself amused more than Alec. While he seems like he would be the most worried in unusual situations, he is actually very good at keeping himself calm for his brother. Strangely he's kind of religious, not sure why, but he has his own little bible to keep him happy. He likes to write and draw, and his drawing are really good for an 8-year-old. He has some... well a lot of OCD, things must be perfect or else he gets upset, we are also working on that. He, unlike Alec, likes having rules and follows them, unless Alec can convince him to join him in his scheming. Ben loves having rules, it makes him feel safe and so he knows where he stands".

Sam could see that these boys could be good for Dean.

"Ben and Alec fight a lot, although the past couple of months, their fighting has died down a bit, since me and dad had a proper sit down with them. They mostly fight because Ben likes the rules and is worried that we'll get rid of him and Alec if they are 'bad' and don't stick to the rules. Alec likes to push the boundaries. Ben gets annoyed and tells Alec off for breaking the rules, while Alec gets annoyed when Ben tells him of and tries to make him follow the rules. But like I said me and dad have been able to, not stop it completely, but get them to see more eye to eye".

"He's worried you'll get rid of him?"

"They both are, but Ben shows it more so. Alec would rather eat salad and wear pink, before admitting he's scared that me or dad would get rid of them, but he's worried just as much as Ben. It's because of their... uh mother, that they have a lack of trust", he wasn't completely lying. The boys did have a lack of trust, he just replaced Manticore with mother as the reason for it.

"Make sense".

"We just have to reassure them that they're stuck with us. Even if things aren't perfect".

Sam nods, feeling sorry for the boys. Basically, get thrown into a stranger's arms, dad or not, and ditched by their mum.

"Anyway, while they argue a lot, they do have each other's backs and look after each other. They're good kids" Dean finishes, deciding that the chick-flick moment had been going on for too long and needed to stop.

After a pause Dean says, "You'd better get some rest".

"Well, I was sleeping before you decided to break into my apartment".

"Just checking you hadn't gotten rusty" Dean grins.

Sam rolls his eyes and decides to ignore Dean. He gets as comfortable as someone can in a car.

After a few minutes, Dean puts a tape in, and lets the quiet sound of his favourite classic rock fills the Impala, and keep him company while he drives.

* * *

 

The Impala is parked at a gas pump, Sam sitting in the front, with the door open, looking through Dean's box of tapes.

He jumps a mile when suddenly a little boy yells in his ear, "Morning uncle Sammy!".

He feels his heart try to calm down as he hears laughter in the back. Turning around he sees one boy struggling to breathe, because he was laughing so hard, and the other looking disapprovingly and shaking his head at his brother.

Sam remembering how Dean said Alec was a troublemaker, he concludes that the laughing boy was Alec, and it was Alec that scared the crap out of him.

"Alec! He's old, you could have given him a heart attack!" the other boy, Ben says in a disapproving tone.

Sam didn't know whether Ben was just being a kid and thinking every adult was old, or deliberately called him old.

But Dean had said that Ben was the better-behaved child, so he puts it down as him just think all adults were  _old_  old.

"It's okay Ben, I'm not quite old enough to have a heart attack" Sam says.

Sam looks out of the Impala when Dean returns.

"Hey! You want breakfast?" he asks, opening the back door, "Leg stretching time kiddo's".

Dean hands them a box of breakfast bars each as Ben and Alec climb out of the Impala. They walk around a little bit, with Dean watching them, making sure they're safe.

"So, how'd you pay for that stuff?" Sam asks after shaking his head when Dean offered him a bag of crisp, "You and Dad still running credit card scams?"

"Yeah, well, hunting ain't exactly a pro ball career. Besides, all we do is apply. It's not our fault they send us the cards".

"Yeah? And what names did you write on the application this time?"

Sam swings his legs back inside the car and closes the door.

"Uh, Burt Aframian and his son Hector. Scored two cards out of the deal"

"That sounds about right" Sam looks at the boys, "what do they think you do?"

"Told them me and dad were PI's. Thought it was reasonably close to the truth and more explainable the travelling mechanics".

Sam nods in acceptance.

"Okay boys, time to get moving" Dean calls and Ben immediately walks back with Alec trudging behind.

The boys slide back into the Impala and Dean follows after.

"I swear, man, you've gotta update your cassette tape collection".

"Why?"

"Well, for one, they're cassette tapes" Sam holds up some tapes, "and two; Black Sabbath? Motorhead? Metallica?"

Dean grabs the box from Sam.

"It's the greatest hits of mullet rock" Sam grins.

"Well, house rules, Sammy" Dean pops a tape in the player, "Ben, Alec. The house rule."

"Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cake-hole" both boys say with matching grins on their faces.

Dean puts the box away and starts the engine.

"You know, Sammy is a chubby twelve-year-old".

Dean turns the music up louder.

"It's Sam, okay?"

"Sorry, I can't hear you, the music's too loud" Dean smirks.

Sam listens to the giggles of the two little boys in the back as Dean drives away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may see the flashbacks are going to be random and from the different viewpoints of Alec, Ben and Dean.  
> I was thinking that maybe once I had finished the story, I'd probably write all the flashbacks in order, for anyone interested.  
> Reviewing, favouriting and following are all appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	3. Pilot (part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing I would like to point out is that because Alec and Ben escaped early on as children, they still have the problem with their brain (the neurological disorder) which causes them to have the random and violent seizures, and have to take Tryptophan or things which have that in it.  
> I won't say whether or not Dean knows about their seizures. You'll just have to keep reading to find out.   
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 3.  
Episode 1 (Pilot).

The Impala drives down the road with 4 passengers inside. Dean driving, listening to his music and keeping an eye on the twins in the back. Sam on his phone checking to see if anyone matching John's description was in the morgue. Ben reading his bible, every so often scribbling and making notes inside of it. Alec playing with a handful of little green army men on his lap, against the window and the top of Dean's seat.

Dean notices a bridge ahead of them with cop cars and officers around it.

"Check it out" Dean pulls up and turns off the engine.

Dean opens the glove compartment and pulls out a box full of ID cards. He picks one out and grins at Sam.

"Let's go" Dean says getting out of the car.

Dean pauses before sticking his head back inside and looks at the boys.

"Me and uncle Sam will be back in a couple of minutes. We just have to check some stuff out, it may be part of the case grandpa was working on" letting the boys know it was about the hunt.

"Okay" Ben says with his head still in his bible, while Alec just nods, not really paying attention to anything but the army men.

Sam and Dean start making their way towards the officers on the bridge.

"I'm bored" Alec moans.

Ben gives him a look, "Don't do anything Alec. You need to try and behave until Dean and Sam find John. Dean has too much on his plate without having to deal with you".

Alec glares, "Deal with me? I'm a freakin delight!"

"Alec"

"Don't worry Ben, I won't do anything" Alec pouts, "I am trying to be helpful for Dean... It's just so hard. At Manticore we were always doing something".

"Focus your energy on something else".

"Like what?!".

"I focus my attention on reading and drawi-"

"Lame and girly"

Ben glares at him, "It's not lame or girly! Dean thinks my pictures are awesome".

Alec rolls his eyes, but doesn't say anything. He knows that if he keeps arguing with Ben, eventually they'll draw attention to themselves, and that would most likely be not so good for Dean.

"Do you..." Ben begins.

"Do I?" Alec pushes for his brother to finish.

"Do you think John is Ok?"

Alec knows his brother has major insecurity and worry issues and had gotten really attached to John and Dean. When John had first disappeared, Ben had a panic attack, thinking John was dead and Dean had to calm him down. Of course, Alec wasn't worried like his girly brother, but it was kind of nice when Dean pulled him into a hug and told him not to worry either.

He puts a hand on Ben shoulder, "Of course he's okay Ben. As Dean says, he's a tough son of a bitch".

Ben nods, "Yeah...you're probably right. Sam was checking in hospitals and morgues for John and he wasn't there".

"Exactly! He's probably just found a bigger case and went to go check it out, and left this one for us".

Ben smiles, feeling happier. He was constantly praying to the Blue Lady to keep John, Dean and Alec safe, but especially John since he disappeared. He knew that the Blue Lady would keep him safe, them all safe... It was just nice to have Alec say that John was alive, out loud.

"I think Dean should have told Sam the truth" Alec mutters, "then we could be out there helping them, instead of pretending to be normal boring kids".

Ben rolls his eyes, "Even if Sam knew the truth, we still wouldn't be helping them right now, because cops aren't going to talk to children".

"Yeah well... He still should have told him the truth. Or at the least make sure he tells us what he's going to says to Sam. He said to Sam earlier that he told us that John and him were PI's, he never told us that was going to be part of the cover story. If you have a cover then you need  _all_  the facts!"

"I agree that we should have been briefed better, but right now Alec, let it go. We'll talk with Dean later" Ben sighs.

The boys super hearing kicks in as they hear Sam and Dean walking closer to them. Both looking out the window, Alec giggles seeing Dean smack Sam on the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?" they hear Sam hiss.

"Why'd you have to step on my foot?"

"Why do you have to talk to the police like that?"

They watch Dean stop move in front of Sam, and stop walking.

"Come on. They don't really know what's going on. We're all alone on this. I mean, if we're going to find Dad we've got to get to the bottom of this thing ourselves".

They see a man, who looks like he could be a Sheriff and a couple of FBI agents walk up to Sam and Dean.

"Can I help you boys?" the Sheriff asks.

"No, sir, we were just leaving," as the FBI agents walk past, Dean nods at them "Agent Mulder. Agent Scully".

Alec and Ben quickly resume playing and reading as Sam and Dean climb into the Impala.

* * *

 

"I'm hungry" Alec groans, already annoyed enough as it is with having to hold Dean's hand like a baby.

They had parked the Impala, and were trying to find a diner to feed the two hungry beasts, as Dean called them. However, that apparently means they have to hold Dean's hand to keep them  _'safe'_  from  _'traffic'_. Alec found it both annoying and warming that Dean worries about them... But mostly annoying considering they were genetically made killing machines.

The other reason they were walking, was because they were hoping to run into the victim's girlfriend. Sam had gone to make a call when they had parked up, so Dean used the time to fill the twins in on what they had so far.

While trying to find both, girl and diner, Sam was finding Dean holding two little boy's hands weird. Sure, he thought Dean was a pretty good parental, but it didn't mean that it didn't freak him out a little bit, seeing Dean being a father, considering how much of a ladies guy he was.

"I know Buddy. We'll stop by a diner real soon and grab some lunch. Just got to find one first" Dean says.

"You're so impatient" Ben mutters, happily holding Dean's hand.

"I'm not impatient!" Alec protests.

"Of course you're not, you're just very...active" Dean interrupts before an argument breaks out.

Sam looks across the street and sees a young woman putting up missing posters. Sam taps Dean and nods to the girl.

"I'll bet you that's her" Dean says looking at her.

"Yeah".

Dean kneels down to the boys, "Okay kiddos. Would you like to be undercover?"

"Hell yeah!" Alec's eyes brighten and Ben nods enthusiastically.

"You see that lady over there" Dean points to the girl putting up the posters, "She's part of the case we are working on, we need her to talk to us, but she'll talk more if she doesn't know we're PI's or cops".

"What do we need to do?" Ben asks.

"Just follow mine and Sam's leads".

The group walk over to the girl.

"You must be Amy" Dean says.

"Yeah" the girl, Amy, looks at Dean with some confusion.

"Yeah, Troy told us about you. We're his uncles. I'm Dean, this is Sammy. These are my kids Ben and Alec".

"We're Troy's cousins" Ben says.

"He never mentioned you to me".

Amy starts to walk away to put up another poster.

"Well, that's Troy, I guess. We're not around much, we're up in Modesto".

"So, we're looking for him too, and we're kinda asking around" Sam jumps in.

A young woman walks up to them and puts a comforting hand on Amy's shoulder, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah...uh this is my friend Rachel"

"You mind if we ask you a couple questions?" Sam asks.

"You know a good diner, we could talk at?" Dean says.

"Sure, just down there" Amy nods.

"Finally! Food!" Alec says and Dean gives him a quick glare.

* * *

 

The four of them are sitting in a booth, Alec squashed in between Sam and Dean and Ben on Dean's lap, both boys stuffing their faces with food and both had big glasses of milk, with Amy and Rachel sat opposite them.

"I was on the phone with Troy. He was driving home. He said he would call me right back, and...he never did".

"He didn't say anything strange, or out of the ordinary?" Sam asks.

Amy shakes her head "No. Nothing I can remember".

"I like your necklace".

She looks at her pentagram necklace and lets out a small laugh, "Troy gave it to me. Mostly to scare my parents with all that devil stuff".

"He sounds cool" Alec grins.

Sam laughs a little, "Actually, it means just the opposite. A pentagram is protection against evil. Really powerful. I mean, if you believe in that kind of thing".

"Okay. Thank you, Unsolved Mysteries" Dean says.

Alec snorts a laugh, making Dean grin.

"Here's the deal, ladies. The way Troy disappeared, something's not right. So, if you've heard anything..." Dean trails off as Amy and Rachel share a look, "What is it?"

"Well, it's just... I mean, with all these guys going missing, people talk" Rachel says.

"What do they talk about?" both Sam and Dean say.

"It's kind of this local legend. This one girl? She got murdered out on Centennial, like decades ago... Well, supposedly she's still out there".

"If she died, how is she still out there? Is she a ghost?" Ben asks.

Rachel nods, "She hitchhikes, and whoever picks her up? Well, they disappear forever".

Sam and Dean look at each other.

"Wow. Morbid and unoriginal much" Alec mutters.

* * *

 

The four Winchesters walk into the library and Ben's face lights up.

"Here you go Benny. Enjoy" Dean says, "You can pick out a book. You too Alec".

Alec scrunches his nose up, "What would I do with a book?"

"Read... Learn."

Alec gives him a 'are you being serious look'.

Dean sighs "You know not all books are awful. There are some funny, non-educational books that you'd enjoy. Go look for a Dr. Seuss book, you might enjoy those. Just stay close".

Rolling his eyes Alec follows after Ben, both knowing that stay close meant, stay close enough to hear Sam and Dean talk about the hunt.

Sitting down at the desk Dean types in "Female Murder Hitchhiking" in the search box. It shows up no results. Dean replaces "Hitchhiking" with "Centennial Highway" but gets the same results, nothing.

"Let me try" Sam sighs, reaching for the keyboard.

Dean smacks Sam's hand away, "I got it".

Sam shoves Dean's chair out of the way and takes over.

"Dude!" Dean hits Sam, "You're such a control freak".

"So angry spirits are born out of violent death, right?" Sam ignores him.

"Yeah".

"Well, maybe it's not murder".

**...**  
Alec raises an eyebrow and mutters, "What else could it be?"

Ben rolls his eyes while looking through a book, "People can die from a number of things. Murder, suicide, accidents, health problems and so on".

"Know it all" Alec grumbles.  
**...**

Sam replaces "Murder" with "Suicide" and finds an article entitled "Suicide on Centennial".

Sam opens an article, "This was 1981. Constance Welch, twenty-four years old, jumps off Sylvania Bridge, drowns in the river".

"Does it say why she did it?"

"Yeah".

"What?"

"An hour before they found her, she calls 911. Apparently her two little kids are in the bathtub. She leaves them alone for a minute, and when she comes back, they aren't breathing. Both die".

**...**  
"That's sad" Ben says.

"Well it explains why she killed herself, but not why she's still sticking around...Right?"

"Not sure, Dean will have better knowledge as to whether this is enough for her to be sticking around. We'll just have to wait till later to talk".  
**...**

"'Our babies were gone, and Constance just couldn't bear it,' said husband Joseph Welch." Sam reads a part of the article.

Dean raises an eyebrow, "that bridge look familiar to you?"

**...  
** "Huh..." Alec says.

Ben looks at Alec, "What?"

"Dean was right...Dr Seuss isn't such a bad book writer" Alec grins, "I like this cat, he's funny".

Ben physically resists the urge to face palm himself as Alec giggles at whatever he read inside the book that had a picture of a cat wearing a hat on. Why a cat would need a hat, Ben couldn't understand, however he is starting to feel as though Dean is trying to make some sort of cat joke about him and Alec, since he recommended the book to Alec.

But as long as Alec was quiet and being good, he wasn't going to complain. That's all he wanted. Alec being good so Dean would keep them.

He like having Sam around, because that meant getting to call Dean, dad all the time, and he liked doing that. He liked having people care about him and Alec, even though they were basically made to be killing machines.

Dean and John and Sam and Alec were the good place he had talked to his unit about. He never wanted to leave the good place, he was happy here. He just had to make sure Alec stayed good and perfect like him, so they didn't have to leave.

Sure, after that big fight he and Alec had a few months ago, Ben was feeling more comfortable. Dean had put down the rules after that, so Ben defiantly felt happier. And Alec's behaviour had, believe it or not, improved. Still a whiny pain, but better than before.

...But still, Ben had to  _make_  sure that Dean wouldn't suddenly not want them and make them leave. He was following all the rules Dean had set and making sure Alec followed them.

He wasn't going to leave the good place... he couldn't... he was happy with his make shift family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry no flashback this chapter, but like I said; some chapter may have 1 or 2 flashback some may have none. They just have to fit in with the story.  
> You did get a little bit more of Ben side this chapter too.  
> Anyway, I think that's all I needed to say, so please fav, follow and review if you like it or if you want to give me some constructive criticism.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	4. Pilot (part 4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to point out that because this story starts off with Dean already knowing about Alec and Ben, he has had time to adjust to the and care for them.  
> In other stories about Sam and Dean finding Alec and Ben it takes time for him to warm up to them, but like I said, in this one he already has. You'll see in the flashbacks Dean getting used to them, but in the main part of the story, he already cares about them very much.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 4.  
Episode 1 (Pilot).

Dean parks the Impala at the start of the bridge, "Ok boys, me and Sam are going to just check out the bridge for a couple of minutes. You two stay here" he looks at Alec, "I mean it. It's late so try and get to sleep".

Ben and Alec nod.

Climbing out of the Impala, Sam and Dean walk along the bridge, then stop to lean on the railing and look down at the river.

"So, this is where Constance took the swan dive" Dean says.

"So, you think Dad would have been here?"

"Well, he's chasing the same story and we're chasing him".

"Okay, so now what?"

"Now we keep digging until we find him. Might take a while".

Sam stops walking, "Dean, I told you, I've gotta get back by Monday-"

"Monday. Right. The interview" Dean turns to face him.

"Yeah".

"Yeah, I forgot. You're really serious about this, aren't you? You think you're just going to become some lawyer? Marry your girl?"

"Maybe. Why not?"

**...**  
"Did Dean have to take the keys with him? Couldn't he have left them in so we could at least have some music" Alec moans.

Ben shakes his head at his brother, "Do you do anything but moan".

Alec glares at his brother in the dark using his night vision. Counting in his head  _'1...2...3...4...'_ to calm down. Dean had told him to do that instead of hitting his brother.  
**...**

"Does Jessica know the truth about you? I mean, does she know about the things you've done?"

"No, and she's not ever going to know".

"Well, that's healthy. You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are".

"And who's that?"

"You're one of us".

**...**  
"Alec... Does it feel colder in here. More than it did a minute ago" Ben says slowly.

"I was hoping it was just me feeling that".  
**...**

Sam stands in front of Dean, "No. I'm not like you. This is not going to be my life. And what about those kids? You want them to have the life we had? Are you going to give them a choice? Like dad didn't give us".

"You have a responsibility to-"

"To Dad? And his crusade? If it weren't for pictures I wouldn't even know what Mom looks like. And what difference would it make? Even if we do find the thing that killed her, Mom's gone. And she isn't coming back".

Dean grabs Sam's collar shirt and slams him up against the railing of the bridge.

"Don't talk about her like that".

Dean releases Sam and walks away. He sees Constance standing at the edge of the bridge.

"Sam".

Sam stand's next to Dean, and they watch as Constance steps over the edge of the bridge. Sam and Dean run after her and look over the railing for her.

"Where'd she go?"

"I don't know".

Behind them, the Impala's engine starts and its headlights come on.

**...**  
"I think Constance is here" Ben says.

"What gave you that idea!" Alec hisses trying to open the door, "The door won't open".

"Mine won't either".  
**...**

"What the-"

"Who's driving your car?"

Dean pulls the keys out of his pocket and jingles them. Sam glances at them. The car jerks into motion, heading straight for them. The brothers turn and run.

"Go! Go!" Sam shouts.

Sam and Dean jump over the railing when the Impala gets too close.

After the brothers go over the Impala stops and the engine is turned off, and the twin's eyes grow wide in terror, they heart's beating out of their rib cage, at the sight of Sam and Dean going over.

* * *

 

_"We have to leave" Ben says._

_Alec shakes his head, "Where would we go?"_

_"Out there. To the good place"._

_"How do you know that's the good place? It could be just as bad as Manticore, but at least we know where we stand here"._

_Ben grabs his twin's arm and looks at him._

_Alec was a cocky, troublemaking misfit that was tough and never got scared... But, he did get scared, he just hid it behind sarcastic remarks and a smirk. He liked to pretend he could take on the world, but right now he was freaking out. Sure, he hated Manticore and wanted to leave...but at the same time he was terrified to leave. This place was horrid, but at least he knew what to expect here, knew that he had a place here._

_Ben had broken off from his unit after Ava took down the guard. He had to find Alec, he couldn't leave him here. He wouldn't. They were brothers. Usually he was a quiet, rule following soldier. He wasn't as tough as Alec and got nervous easily. However, to look after and protect the people, Alec and his unit, he saw as family, he could stand his ground, push back his fear and fight._

_Usually, it was Alec who lead and Ben who followed. Today though, it was the other way around._

_Ben was worried about the outside world, but he knew the Blue Lady would help them and keep them safe in the outside place. He knew Alec was scared, even if Alec didn't want to say it, so Ben knew he had to be a big brother and take care of Alec, make sure he got out too._

_A few weeks ago, neither of the boys knew they about each other. The only reason they found out either existed, was pure luck. Or as Ben likes to believe, because of the Blue Lady._

_Ever since some of the X-5's had started getting the shakes, Lydecker had all of them have weekly health checks, to try and find out what was going on with his kids. Ben was on his way for his weekly health check, along with 4 others from his unit; Max, Tinga, Ace and Calla. Alec was on his way to isolation for a time out in Psy-Ops, after he pissed off one too many guards with his smart mouth._

_They were getting marched down the same hallway when the saw each other._

_Manticore didn't like twin transgenics even knowing about each other, let alone seeing each other. So as soon as the boys saw each other the guards that were with them staring drag Alec quickly down the hall, however Alec didn't go quietly._

_It took 6 guards to get him away, while Ben was drag off quickly by 2 others, too shocked to put up a fight. The next night Alec was able to sneak into Ben's unit and was confused when he saw that everyone in his unit was also in his twins._

_During that night Alec, Ben and Ben's unit tried to understand why there would be two of each of them. Also during that night Ben understood why Alec was being taken to isolation... He had a very smart mouth. Max even gave him a name, as no one in his unit had one. She named him Alec for smart-alec. Ben had also told him all about the Blue Lady, and how she must have been the one to have them meet._

_After that night Alec tried to sneak into Ben's unit as much as he could. He found he quiet like having a twin... It was like a real brother. It was always Alec who went to Ben. He found his twin didn't share his charming troublemaker personality._

_Every so often Alec got caught by the guards, which got him in a lot of trouble. Painful trouble. Each time he got caught it also got slightly harder to get to Ben, but Alec didn't care._

_However, this time it was Ben who went to Alec. He was spending 24 hours Psy-Ops for his last attempt to see Ben, when some alarms went off. The guards left, so Alec was left alone with a couple of scientist._

_That was when the door opened and the scientist quickly drop unconscious and Ben was untying him from the chair, telling him that had to leave._

_Alec knew Manticore wasn't a good place, but it was the only place they had. Plus, Ben was the 'do-it-by-the-rules' twin. Now suddenly he was escaping?_

_"We're defective. They're going to put us with the normlies because of our shakes" Ben says, "They were going to take Max because she started shaking, and cut her open like they did with Jack"._

_Alec felt his heart start racing. During one of his visits Ben had told him about the loss of one his unit. How they took him away because he had the shakes, and as much as Ben's sister Max was annoying, he didn't want her to be taken away._

_"We have to go. All of my unit is escaping right now, I couldn't leave without you though" Ben started to drag Alec down the hall, "We have to leave now, before they capture us. We need to meet up with the rest of my unit to discuss about the next move"._

_Alec and Ben move carefully, but quickly down the hall and outside into the snow._

_Climbing up and over a bank they reach Ben's unit, only for Ben's unit leader, Zack, to tell them that they had to split up._

_However, as the transgenics separated, Ben took a hold of Alec's hand and, once again, pulled him along with him. Ben wasn't going to leave Alec. They were going to stick together._

_Alec was happy about that. He didn't think he could live in the world outside of Manticore, by himself. He was scared, not that he would admit it. If anyone where to ever ask, he'd say he stayed with Ben because it was Ben that was scared._

_He'd also never admit to Ben; just how much he was happy that Ben didn't leave him behind._

_They had heard gun shots getting closer, so they both ran faster and leapt on to the fence, and quickly got over it and kept running out into the world outside of Manticore, until they had to stop to take a breath._

_Neither boy had every felt their hearts beat as fast as they did that day of the escape..._

* * *

 

Alec and Ben fly out of the Impala and run at their hyper speed over the railing. Looking over they feel a slight relief at seeing Sam hanging on to the side of the bridge.

"Uncle Sam!" Ben cries, "You're ok?"

"Yeah" Sam groans.

"Where's dad?" Alec panics.

Sam looks around, "Dean? Dean!"

"Dad!" Ben shouts.

"DAD!" Alec yells about to jump over the rail.

They all hear a small shout of, "What?"

Looking down they see Dean laying on his back, covered in mud. Ben and Alec nearly collapses in relief.

"Hey! Are you all right?" Sam asks.

Dean holds up an A-OK sign, "I'm super".

Sam laughs in relief and quickly climbs back over the rail, only to almost get knocked off his feet by a child.

"I'm so glad your okay uncle Sam" Ben cries tightening his hold on Sam's legs.

"Me too" Sam pats Ben's back and ruffles his hair, a bit surprised by the child's strong affection for him, though not entirely surprised since seeing someone almost get killed usually gets that sort of reaction.

"Uh, yeah. I'm glad you're not dead too" Alec shuffles his feet and looks to the ground. Alec really wanted to join in the hug, but was scared.

It had been the worst moment in Alec's life. He thought he lost Dean and even Sam. During that moment... he had felt scared. He had felt more scared now, then when he and Ben escaped, and he didn't think it was possible to feel worst then that.

He knew he was starting to care about them and he honestly didn't know how to feel about that.

Well, actually he did.

He wants the same thing Ben wants, for Dean to be their dad, for more than just as a show for public view. He...he wants to be a family and he hates that he wants that. The more people to care about means the more people to lose, which means more pain in the end.

Though, the more time he spends with the Winchesters, the more he found he didn't care, he just wants a family that cares about him.

He was just to bloody stubborn and he knew it.

"Dad!" Ben yells running over to Dean who was walking over to the group.

"Benny" Dean sighs in relief seeing the boys.

When the car had come towards them, he felt himself go cold. While he was worried about him and Sam, he was borderline terrified for Alec and Ben. He had been so worried that the ghost bitch had done something to them.

The first time something like this had happened, when he and dad had taken them on their first hunt...Dean remembered how scared and hopeless he felt when the boys got hurt. That was why he refused to let them on any major hunts. He couldn't stand seeing his boys in danger.

Dean had been wondering for a while now, if this was what it was like, to be a parent. If it was, the he hates it... though he loves it too. He loves hearing the boy's call him dad and relay on him.

He loves Ben's sensitive nature, his pictures that he made for him and his hugs. He loves Alec's witty humour, his interest in the Impala and his laugh.

He loves these boys. His boys.

Ben smacks into him, not caring that he was covered in mud. He picks the boy up and Ben wraps his legs around his waist, while he continues to walk over to Alec and Sam.

Alec continues to look at the ground. He doesn't want to look up because then they would see the stupid tears.

However, Dean wasn't having any of it. Giving Ben a last squeeze, he puts him down and kneels down in front of Alec.

"So... You happy to see me?"

Alec nods, still not looking up, "Yea... I'm just not a girl like Ben. Plus, you stink".

Dean rolls his eyes and as he stands, he take's Alec with him.

In that move Alec forgets about being tough and wraps his arms tightly around Deans neck and lets a few tears out, though he still refused to let himself fully cry.

After a few minutes, Dean says "Okay bud?".

Alec nods and Dean put's him down, Alec scrunches his face up, "Great! Now I stink like you!"

Dean smirks as he walks over to his baby, and lifts the hood to see if there is there was any damage.

"And I'm filthy" Alec pauses, "Actually, I like the mud, it's just the smell that's awful".

"I will admit... I think I should have waited till dad had a shower, till hugging him" Ben grimaces.

Alec suddenly perks up and grins at Sam, "Uncle Sam, I think I would like my hug now".

Sam smiles, "Yeah, I'll hug you after you stop stinking".

"Don't you love me, uncle Sammy?"

"Not when you smell like that" Sam ruffles his hair. Sam was slightly surprised at how natural it felt, interacting with Ben and Alec… it was like he had known them for years, not just a couple of days.

Alec fake pouts, while Ben giggles.

However, Sam starts to feel uneasy as Alec gets a mischievous gleam in his eyes and starts whispering in Ben's ear.

He gets distracted from the boys when Dean shuts the hood of the Impala and leans on it. He walks over to Dean.

"Your car all right?"

"Yeah, whatever she did to it, seems all right now. That Constance chick, what a bitch!"

"Well, she doesn't want us digging around, that's for sure. So, where's the job go from here, genius?" Sam settles on the hood next to Dean, "What are you going to tell the boys about what happen tonight?"

"I'll figure something out after a shower and some sleep" Dean lies since technically the boys  _did_  actually know what happened tonight.

Dean was starting to think that he should just get it over with and tell Sam. He had told the boy's that he just wanted to tell Sam after the stress of finding John was over. But that was only half of it.

He was slightly worried Sam would react badly about what the twin really were and wouldn't accept them. Dean was hoping that once Sam spent time with them he wouldn't care that they were clones, he'd just care about them like he does.

Dean look's over at Sam when he sniffs him.

"You smell like a toilet" Sam smirks.

However, his smirk fades quickly, when he gets jumped by Alec and Ben.

"Now we all smell like toilets" Alec grins.

"A family of toilets" Ben smiles and Dean let's out a heart-filled laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To me it's important that you understand that usually Ben is the more nervous quiet one and Alec is the tough and funny one, BUT Ben can be tough and Alec can be nervous at times.  
> Anyway, I would like to say that if there is anything you don't understand at any point during the story, just message me and I will try to explain best I can.  
> Please fav, follow and review.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	5. Pilot (part 5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is chapter 5, and the second to last chapter on this episode.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 5.  
Episode 1 (Pilot).

Alec and Ben are passed out on the back seat as Dean and Sam get out of the Impala and head into the motel reception area.

Handing over his card, Dean says, "One room, please".

"You guys having a reunion or something?" the clerk says.

"What do you mean?" Sam asks.

"I had another guy, Burt Aframian. He came and bought out a room for the whole month".

Dean pauses before looking back at Sam.

* * *

 

Sam goes up to the door and starts picking the lock, while Dean wakes up the boys.

"Dude... You tell us to sleep and then you wake us up", Alec grumbles, "Go away".

"Sorry buddy, but you need to get up and have a shower, then some food. You can take a nap if your still tired after that".

Ben rubs the sleep from is eyes and sits up, "We have a room?"

"Yeah, it was dad's. He bought it out for the month, which hopefully means he's left some clues for us".

"You gonna tell Sam about us anytime soon?" Alec brings up.

Dean freezes for a second.

In his mind, there was nothing to tell. Alec and Ben were his boys, end of. However, he knew that it technically wasn't the case.

"Once we find dad" Dean says stepping away from the Impala door so the boys and their back packs could get out.

Ben shakes his head, "he'll be mad at you for not telling him"

"Sam's always grumpy and mad" Dean says leading the boys towards the motel room.

The motel door swings open as Dean and the mini Dean's reach Sam. The step into the room, Sam closing the door behind them.

"Okay Ben, Alec go have a  _quick_  shower" Dean says in a tone telling then he and Sam need to talk about the case.

Alec huffs, but follows Ben's lead and grabs some clean clothes from his bag, before walking into the bathroom.

Once the sound of the shower starts, Sam and Dean start looking around at the maps, newspaper clippings, pictures and notes that were all over the room, and books and junk over the floor and bed. Dean picks up a half-eaten hamburger and sniffs it, while Sam walks over some salt on the floor.

"Whoa" Sam says.

"I don't think he's been here for a couple days at least" Dean puts the burger down.

"Salt, cats-eye shells...he was worried. Trying to keep something from coming in".

Dean looks at some paper on the wall.

"What have you got here?" Sam asks.

"Centennial Highway victims", Dean looks at the different missing men, "I don't get it. I mean, different men, different jobs, ages, ethnicities. There's always a connection, right? What do these guys have in common?"

Sam looks at the other stuff in the room, "Dad figured it out".

"What do you mean?"

"He found the same article we did. Constance Welch. She's a woman in white".

Dean looks over the missing men again, "You sly dogs" Dean turns back to Sam, "All right, so if we're dealing with a woman in white, Dad would have found the corpse and destroyed it".

"She might have another weakness".

"Well, Dad would want to make sure. He'd dig her up. Does it say where she's buried?"

"No, not that I can tell. If I were Dad, though, I'd go ask her husband", Sam taps a picture Joseph Welch, "If he's still alive".

The sound of the shower stops, indicating that the boys were finished.

"All right. Why don't you, uh, see if you can find an address, I'm gonna get cleaned up", Dean says as he heads towards the bathroom.

"Hey, Dean? What I said earlier, about Mom and Dad, I'm sorry".

Dean puts his hand up to stop Sam, "No chick-flick moments".

"All right. Jerk" Sam smirks.

"Bitch".

Sam laughs and shakes his head while Dean turns to the bathroom door and knocks.

"You finished in there mini me's? You dressed?  _Everything_  covered?" Ben and Alec knew that when Dean said 'everything' he meant their barcodes.

Their barcodes were the main reason that their wardrobe was lumberjack shirts, because the collar covered their barcodes. Plus, according to Alec lumberjack shirts were cool and Ben liked them because Dean wore them.

Sam notices the picture on the mirror, of him, Dean and their dad. He picks it up and looks at it, while the bathroom door opens and Ben and Alec walk out, their hair wet and dripping.

"Yep, all covered daddy-O" Alec smirks as he walks over to the bed.

Dean just shakes his head as he walks into the bathroom, shutting the door.

"Sooooooooo", Alec rolls on to his back and half hangs off the bed, "I'm bored".

"Don't Alec" Ben warns.

"Don't what? I haven't done anything".

"Yet".

Sam turns to the boys. His nephews... He still found that strange. His brother having kids. Sam always knew that his brother had some fatherly features. Dean  _had_  pretty much raised him. But actually having his own kids, was something Sam was still getting used to. Especially since Dean didn't really do kids.

However, he was really good with Ben and Alec.

"Yet?" Sam asks.

Ben turns to Sam, "When Alec gets board, things get broken".

"No, they don't!" Alec protested.

Ben just sighs, "the lamp, the curtain rails, the other lamp, the bathroom door handle, the side table, the actual table, the head board, the ceiling light, the  _other_  other lamp, the wall that one time, the co-".

"Hey! Those weren't all my fault, you were the one who broke the side table, not me! Anyway, the company's that made them should have made them better".

Ben's eyes widen defensively, "the side table was an accident and it was because you threw the lamp first. Everything else was your fault".

Sam looked between the brothers… What. The. Hell? His eyes resting on Ben, "…you…he broke all of those things" turning to Alec, "you broke all of those things?"

"No... Maybe... Possibly... A little bit..." Alec says weakly.

"Like I said, when Alec gets bored things get broken. He can't go a day without causing trouble" Ben glares at his twin.

Alec feels his anger flare up "I don't always cause trouble! I just want to have some fun. Plus, I've gotten a lot better recently!"

Sam, sensing Alec's anger and remembering Dean saying Alec had some anger issues, quickly changes the subject, "So Alec, I saw you had some army men. I liked playing with those when I was your age".

"Dad got them for me" Alec says as he sits back down on the bed.

"There just pieces of plastic" Ben rolls his eyes, "dad got me some books".

Alec glares, "I know they're plastic, but I like them, they have guns. Your books are just paper".

Ben decides to not answer, instead he takes the high road and sits down on a chair, with one of his books, and starts to read. Alec glares for a second longer, annoyed that Ben was ignoring him. Sighing he pulls the army men out of his bag and choses to play with them on the bed.

Sam lets out an inner sigh, thankful that the possible fight had been diverted for now. He grabs his phone and see's he has a missed call. Sitting down on the bed, Sam plays the voicemail message.

"Hey, it's me, it's about ten-twenty Saturday night-" a female voice says.

Ben looks up from his book, "Who's that?"

"Uh, it's my girlfriend. Jess".

Alec scrunches up his face, "girlfriend? Like a girl that you...kiss? Yuck!"

Ben also has a look of slight disgust on his face.

"Guess there is some differences between you guys and Dean then", Sam smirks, "trust me, when your older, girlfriends will sound a lot more appealing".

"I'm good thanks" Alec says.

"Yeah, I don't think I want one, they sound gross" Ben shakes his head before turning back to his book.

The bathroom door opens, and a clean Dean walks out. Grabbing his jacket, he walks over to the other three Winchesters in the room.

"Hey, man. I'm starving, I'm gonna grab a little something to eat in that diner down the street. You want anything?" Dean asks.

"No" Sam shakes his head.

"Aframian's buying".

Sam just shakes his head again. Dean turns to the boys.

"Hungry Kiddo's?"

Alec jumps of the bed in a flash and Ben puts his book down and nods his head.

"See you in a bit" Dean say's to Sam as he and the boy's leave.

Closing the door behind then, the three Dean's make their way towards the Impala. Ben looks over his shoulder and see a police car, with the police that were on the bridge yesterday.

Grabbing Dean's jacket sleeve Ben says, "Dean, there are police behind us".

Dean turns and sees them talking to the motel clerk.

"Damn, it's the coppers" Alec mutters.

Dean blinks, then looks down at him, before shaking his head, "you are watching too much telly".

"Dean their pointing at us. I think you're in trouble" Ben informs him.

Sighing, Dean pulls out his phone, "Dude, five-oh, take off".

Even with their enhanced hearing, they couldn't hear the other end of the conversation.

"Uh, they kinda spotted me, the boy's too. Go find Dad".

Dean hangs up the phone and quickly looks at the boys.

"You remember what me and dad told you what to say and do, if this happens?"

The boys nod.

Neither one letting their worry show.

Dean turns and faces the police, "Problem officers?"

"Where's your partner?" the officer says.

"Partner? What partner?"

The officer talking to Dean looks over to the room Sam was in and nods his head at the other officer, who heads over to the room.

"These boys yours?"

Dean nods and his hands, acting on their own accord, tightens around the twin's hands.

"Do you boys mind if I talk to your daddy for a second? You see that police car over there? Do you think you could stand by it for me?"

Alec has to restrain himself from rolling his eyes at this cop. How old did he think they were?

Ben has to restrain himself from glaring at the police officer. He didn't want to leave Dean.

Dean lets the boy's hands go and gives them a nod. They slowly head over to the car, which was still, very much, in hearing range for their cat ears.

"Cute kids".

Dean smirks, "Well, they take after me".

The officer, clearly not amused, says "so. Fake US Marshal. Fake credit cards. You got anything that's real?"

After a pause Dean says, "My boobs".

Alec laughs so hard that he has to hold on to Ben, who is also giggling.

* * *

 

Ben and Alec shuffle uncomfortably on the wooden bench, that they had been placed on since the officers had arrested Dean.

Ben was biting his nails. His was anxious and worried. Question after question forming in his head. What if they take Dean away and put him in prison? What if they take him and Alec away? Was Sam okay? Would Manticore get wind of this, of them here? At the time, the joke Dean made was really funny, now however, Ben was wishing Dean had kept his mouth shut. He was also wishing that they would have put some cushions or something on the bench, so that he didn't have a numb bum.

Alec was swing his legs and had his elbows on his knees, and his chin in his hands, trying to take his mind off his numb bum. He was worried and had the same questions as Ben, he just hid it better. Plus, he had more faith in Dean. There was no way Dean would let himself get put in prison... He sighs and looks at the clock. They had been here for a while, all because the stupid cop couldn't take a joke! ...Why did the cops even think Dean did anything? How couldn't they have figured out it was a fake ID? They were all morons. How could their small brains figure it out!

Other officers had come over to talk to them both, to try and get the boys to feel comfortable and talk about Dean, but neither Ben or Alec gave them anything more then things like 'Dad's awesome' and 'Can we see our dad now, please?".

John and Dean had had told the boys that if they ended up in a situation like this, that they had to make Dean look like the best dad in the world. Which both boys found easy, as Dean was the best. They also told the boys that in a situation like this the police may end up calling child services. John and Dean had explained what would happen if child services were called, so both Ben and Alec were praying that these officers hadn't done that yet.

Ben sighs and Alec rolls his eyes as another officer starts walking over to them.

* * *

 

Dean sits in the chair, in the interrogating room, facing the sheriff. On the outside his was playing it cool, however on the inside was a different matter. He had been there for a while, so he was starting to feel nervous. They could have called the child services and taken away his boys by now.

Dean didn't even want to start thinking about the endless possibilities that could happen to the boys, if child services got their hands on them. However, he knew the worst case, was that the place that decided making children become soldiers, found them, because it was a fair bet that they would be monitoring the new children that the child services got. Encase it was one of theirs.

Dean pushed the thoughts from his mind. He had to focus on getting out and getting to his boys.

Yeah, his boys. Alec and Ben were his kids, his boys.

He had been surprised at just how quickly they had gone from being his clones that him and dad picked up, to them being his boys. It was pretty soon after meeting them and thinking back he could see how the boys had been growing on him for a while before hand. It just took the almost loss of them for him to see it clearly. They were his... ... ...

_Dean watched as Ben went crashing into a wall of the mausoleum_ ,  _next to an already unconscious Alec._

_They were in town on a hunt. Both Alec and Ben hadn't believed them when they explain about the supernatural, but had agreed that since John and Dean had believed them, they would let them prove what they said was true. That meant taking them on a hunt. Dean and John had agreed that they should start with something simple. A salt and burn._

_It was a simple ghost hunt... It really was. It just turned out this ghost was extremely pissed off and really didn't want to be salt and burned._

_Having watched Alec land on the floor with a loud thud, and now Ben, Dean felt his heart twist in fright._

_For the past few weeks, he had his clones with him in the Impala, and it had freaked him out. Dean usually love driving his baby, but since the clones, he has recently been praying for short journeys, so he could get out of his baby and away from the arguing children that looked like him._

_He had to break up countless arguments, and a couple of fist fights, that usually ended up with him being more bruised then them._

_His clones were really getting on his nerves..._

_However, no matter how much they annoyed him, Dean found he worried about them. They may have been his clones, but they were also kids who were his responsibility._

_And they were freakin adorable! ...Not surprising since they were his clones._

_Now however, seeing both boys get thrown around and hurt, Dean suddenly felt panic and fear. Not for himself or his dad, but for those children._

_Sure, Dean had come to realise that over the few weeks, he had come to some-what care for them. But seeing both boy's unconscious, he felt and an explosion of emotions._

_He felt himself go cold and freeze, looking at them._

_The only thing that got him to move was his dad yelling at him._

_Quickly throwing the lighter on the bones, Dean watches the ghost burst into flames before disappearing._

_It only took a few seconds before Dean got moving and ran over to the boys._

_"Ben! Alec!" Dean said in a panic, falling next to them._

_His hands worked on their own as he ran them all over the boys, trying to find everywhere they were hurt, while John started walking over._

_"Dude, you are getting way to handsy. At least by me dinner first" Alec groaned, his eyes slowly flickering open._

_Dean let out a huge sigh and, ignoring Alec's squeak of surprise, he grabbed the boy and pulled him into a tight hug._

_"I don't think Alec can breathe" Ben's pained voice spoke up a moment later._

_Now Ben was pulled into the hug, Dean's grip on them not losing._

_However, neither boy really minded. It felt really nice, even if they couldn't breathe. They just relaxed into Dean and hugged him back._

_John just stood back and watched his son and the boys. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he felt a rush of relief wash over him when the boys opened their eyes._

_Finally pulling back, Dean's face hardens, "Don't you EVER do that again"._

_Alec rolled his eyes, "Yes, because I really want to slam my head against the floor again"_

_"I'm sorry Dean" Ben said, tears growing in his eyes, "I'll do better!"_

_Dean sighed, "No Benny, it's not your fault. It's just... Don't get hurt again ok"_

_Ben nodded and wrapped his arms back around Dean._

_"Soooooo, I guess I can believe you guys now" Alec says._

_"And can you believe us now when we say, as super human as you are, a lot of the supernatural are better then you?" John added._

_Alec's face turned sour, but he reluctantly nodded, "I suppose some of them may be a bit more super then me"._

_"What hurts?" Dean asks._

_"Just my head. It will be fine. Remember, we told you, transgenics have faster healing"._

_"I'll be the judge of that" Dean says, "We'll check it over back at the motel, before we leave. What about you Benny"._

_"My head hurts the most, and my shoulder feels a bit sore. It's not dislocated, most likely just bruised" Ben says standing up._

_"Right then. Let's get back and bandaged, then get out of town" John says, putting a hand behind Ben's back and guiding him out of the graveyard, followed by Dean and Alec._

_After that hunt, Dean had decided that the boys wouldn't hunt again. Which lead to a lot of arguing. The boys saying how they were basically killing machine and they would be assets, and if they couldn't help out, they would get bored. Ben had said that board transgenics was not something they wanted to deal with._

_So eventually Dean compromised with them. They could help on simple hunts that Dean approved of (only after he and John trained them up a bit and they learnt about the main monsters they hunted)._

_He put his foot down on any more hunting then that. To Dean's surprise John agreed with him... ... ..._

Dean sighs and looks at the sheriff, "I don't know how many times I gotta tell you. It's my high school locker combo".

"We gonna do this all night long?"

Before Dean can say anything, the door opens and an officer looks in.

"We just got a 911, shots fired over at Whiteford Road" he says.

"You have to go to the bathroom?" the sheriff looks at Dean.

"No" Dean says, confusion written on his face.

"Good".

The sheriff handcuffs Dean to the table and leaves the room. Dean looks at the journal and smirks when he sees the paper clip poking out of it.

* * *

 

Alec and Ben watch as a bunch of officers run out of the station. The look at each other in confusion, before Alec just shrugs and looks at the clock on the wall. Ben smacks Alec on the arm.

Alec turns to his twin with a 'what the hell' face. Ben nods in the direction of the main police station area.

Rolling his eyes Alec looks and see's Dean signalling them come over to him.

"Excuse me miss, Me and my brother need the toilet" Ben says to the lady at the desk, "Where is it?"

"Just down the hall sweetie. Do you need me to show you?"

"We'll be fine, thank you" Ben smiles at her and he and Alec get up and walk down the hall towards Dean.

Reaching Dean, both boys give him a quick hug in relief.

"About time Dean" Alec says, "my bum is numb! I can't feel it" he says poking it.

Ben shakes his head and wonders just how the hell the could be related, let alone twins.

"We have to get moving now" Dean says guiding the boys towards the fire escape.

"So, I'm guessing they didn't let you go then" Ben states, "How'd you get out da-Dean?"

Ben caught himself before he called Dean, dad. He really wanted to call Dean 'dad' all the time, not just when they were in public or with Sam. But he was worried that Dean wouldn't like that.

"Cuz, Benny. I'm awesome" Dean grins as he opens the fire escape and indicates for the boys to go down first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the last one of episode 1.  
> Anyway, I hope you liked it, and if you did please review, fav and follow. Or if it wasn't that good, please feel free to give me some criticism on how to make my story better.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	6. Pilot (part 6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post these first 6 chapters all together to get the story going for you guys. This last chapter will round off the first supernatural episode. 
> 
> Now I will be posting chapter most likely once a week or so.   
> The next episodes won't be as many chapter. They will most likely be 2/3 chapters long.   
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 6.  
Episode 1 (Pilot).

Dean reaches into the phone booth, while Alec and Ben stand next to him. Dean pauses and looks down at the boys.

"I should have grabbed your coats before we left the motel. It's a cold night" he says.

Alec rolls his eyes, "How many times have we  _both_  told you? Transgenics don't get cold easily".

Dean, acting as though he didn't hear Alec, slips his jacket off and puts it around both of the boys.

Ben sighs and whisper, "remember Alec, Dean likes to pretend not to hear us, when we tell him stuff like that".

"Right, how could I forget that".

Dean punches the buttons and puts the phone to his ear, "Fake 911 phone call? Sammy, I don't know, that's pretty illegal".

Alec pouts when he realises he can't hear the conversation on the other end.

After a pause Dean says, "Yeah, I have the boys, they're fine. Listen, we gotta talk...Sammy, would you shut up for a second?...Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you. He's gone. Dad left Jericho...I've got his journal...Yeah, well, he did this time...Ah, the same old ex-Marine crap, when he wants to let us know where he's going...I'm not sure yet...Sam? SAM?!" Dean slams the phone down.

"Dean what's wrong?" Ben asks.

It felt weird to Dean, when the boys called him by his name. For him at least, it felt right when they called him dad. He liked it a lot more. He remembered how for the first month or so it was weird to be called dad. It un-nerved him. But since that first hunt with the boy's, the one where they become his boys, Dean relished them calling him dad.

He just wasn't sure how to talk to the boys and let them know they could call him dad all the time if they wanted to, without him having to actual saying those words, encase they didn't feel the same way... Crap! He was becoming a girl...

"Something's happened to Sam" Dean says heading towards a parked car.

"Something?"

"He yelled, then his phone went dead" looking around, Dean sees no one, so he breaks into the car.

"Where is he?" Alec asks, climbing into the car.

"No sure, but probably somewhere along the road the ghost bitch patrols".

"So, it's defiantly a ghost?" Ben asks.

"Yeah, women in white. You guys where in the shower when we discovered that. It's a ghost that targets men who cheat" Dean explains as he hot wires the car.

"I presume they have to be killed in the usual ghost way?"

"Yeah, salt and burn".

"You think she has Sam?"

"Possibly".

"Uh, hate to be a Debbie Downer... but once we find Sam, how are you going to explain to him why we are helping out with the ghost and are totally cool with the fact ghosts are real?" Alec chimes into the conversation.

"We'll uh... deal with it once we get to Sam".

Alec rolls his eyes and scoffs. Dean was digging himself a bigger hole, Sam was going to be pissed and he was only going to get more pissed the longer Dean put it off. Sure, Alec had agreed with the not telling to begin with, mostly because he didn't know Sam, as he didn't trust him. Now, while he didn't trust him like he trusted Dean, it would just make things  _sooooo_  much easier.

"Okay Kitty-cats, night vision time. Find my baby and we'll find Sam" Dean says.

"One of these day's I'm going to pee on his bed. Just like a cat" Alec whispers just loud enough for his brother to hear as he looks out the window, "See how funny the cat jokes are then".

Ben sniggers at his brother. For once agreeing with him. The jokes had gotten old a long time ago.

"There" Alec notices the Impala.

Dean picks up the speed towards an old house, with his baby parked in front it.

Pulling up, Dean grabs his gun and before getting out turns to the boys, "Stay".

Both Ben and Alec huff and glare as Dean leaves the car. Alec stops himself from yelling that, as Dean like to point out, they were cats, not dogs.

They watch as Dean runs up to the Impala, then start shooting at the driver's side window. Only for the car to surge forward and crash into the house. The boy's share a look as Dean runs after the car, before jumping out of the stolen car and racing after them.

"Sam! Sam! You okay?" they heard Dean yelling.

"I think..."

"Can you move?"

"Yeah. Help me?"

Dean see's Ben and Alec approach and gives them a look that told them that they would be in trouble for not listening to him. Ignoring them for now, Dean leans through the window to give Sam a hand.

Ben and Alec start to go over to help, when they spot the ghost, Constance, and they freeze, trying to figure out if she realised they were there.

Dean pulls Sam out, "There you go".

Suddenly Sam and Dean get pinned to the Impala by a desk as Constance glares at them.

"Dad...Dean...Whatever you want to be called" Alec says running over with Ben.

The little brothers feel their feet leave the ground and their backs hit a wall and bums land on the floor.

"I hate ghosts" Alec groans before looking at Constance and makes almost a hissing sound, like a cat.

The lights start to flicker and water starts to pour down the stairs.

"You've come home to us, Mommy" two small voices say, before two little children appear behind Constance and wrap their arms around her, causing her to scream.

Ben and Alec close their eyes and cover their ears at the sight and sound, their enhanced hear picking up the screaming very well. When the screams stop Ben and Alec look around to see Constance and the children, presumably hers, gone.

"So, this is where she drowned her kids" Dean says walking over to Ben and Alec, to make sure they weren't hurt.

"That's why she could never go home. She was too scared to face them".

"You found her weak spot. Nice work, Sammy"

"Yeah, I wish I could say the same for you. What were you thinking shooting Casper in the face, you freak?"

"Hey. Saved your ass. I'll tell you another thing. If you screwed up my car? I'll kill you".

Sam laughs before looking over at Dean and remembering Ben and Alec, "Dean... They...How are- they... Dean, they don't seem freaked out".

"There is a perfectly good reason for that" Dean swallows.

"Yeah, he lied" Alec buts in.

Dean gives him a hard poke in the back as a warning, but Ben pipes up, "Sorry for not telling you the truth from the start".

Dean groans and rubs his face. Why did Ben have to rat on him too?

"Dean?" Sam said slowly.

Alec turns to Dean and raises one of his eyebrows, "I think you have some explaining to do da-Dean. I mean the cat  _is_ out of the bag".

Ben gives Alec a bitch-face, "really?"

Alec shrugs, "Well Dean does the cat jokes all the time. I thought I'd give it a go".

"Dean?!" Sam says with a voice that showed his confusion.

"Well... Uh, you see..." Dean trails off.

Alec and Ben share a look and both nod their heads, deciding to help Dean out.

"Okay" Alec sighs, "long story short? Me and Ben are super soldiers that were genetically made in a secret government facility, made up of Dean's DNA and feline DNA. Basically, we are his clones with cat abilities".

Sam just looks at Dean and the twins, "...What?"

Ben decides to explain this time, "Me and Alec aren't really Dean's children. We are his clones, made in this government facility, called Manticore, that has been trying to create the perfect super soldiers. We were made using Dean's DNA, making us his clones and human, and feline DNA, making us super soldiers. Because of the feline DNA we are faster, stronger, smarter and more agile them normal people. We also can jump higher and hold our breathes longer than normal people, as well as have all our senses enhanced and we have night vision. We were created, born and grew up in Manticore. We were taught everything soldiers needed to learn and more. All about war, fighting, weapons and so on. We had classes and training every day... We had been the fifth attempt at making the perfect soldiers and they thought they had done it...but us X-5's started becoming defective... We started getting these shakes...and...and when you got the shakes... they took you away. They took Jack away and he never came back. When Max got the shakes Zack, our unit leader, said we had to escape. So, we did. A couple of months later we ran into Dean and John, literally, and we've been with them since".

Sam was still just staring at the three Dean's in silence.

"And that was the long story, not so short" Alec grins, breaking the quiet.

"You've got to be joking" Sam shakes his head in disbelief.

* * *

 

The drive had been quiet. Sam hadn't said much, apart from where John's coordinates lead too and about going back to Stanford, since the truth behind Ben and Alec had been revealed. It was late...or really early, so eventually, after the boy's had a long drink of milk, both clones were fast asleep in the back seat.

"Why...why didn't you tell me the truth?"

"So, you would have been fine when I showed up at Stanford and said hey Sammy, these are my clones. They were made in a secret government facility, that they escaped from. Oh, and they're basically half cat too".

"Maybe not in those words" Sam says weakly.

Dean turns his head slightly to check on the boys. Not that Dean would ever tell them, but he was able to tell the difference between when the twins are faking sleep and when they have actually fallen asleep. Admittedly, it had taken awhile, but he had cracked it. So, he knew that every now and then that Ben, and even Alec a couple of times, had pretended to be asleep so that he had to carry them in. Not that Dean minded.

He noted that they both were sleeping for real.

"Look" Dean sighs, knowing that he would have to do a small chick-flicky moment, but he'd suck it up this once for his boys, "When we bumped into the boys, both me and dad saw two 8-year-old me's. Dad dragged them back to the motel and eventually, the boy's started talking. They told us what they told you, and more".

Dean's hands tighten on the wheel as he speaks, "This Manticore place is a piece of crap, forcing children to become soldiers and messing with their DNA. They weren't given names, they had numbers. The other children in their unit had worked together and thought of names for each other. About a year ago, they had all the children have barcodes of their number, tattoo on the back of their neck. Ben had told me about this room called Psy-Ops. He said that in there... the children... well short story is, these scientists basically did mental torture to help make them the perfect soldiers. He said, one night when Alec was asleep, that Alec had spent a lot of time in there, because of his smart mouth".

Sam felt sick. How could people treat children like this? Like they weren't even people themselves, as though they were just weapons.

"A child in Ben's unit died during training one day. They were training them to hold their breathes for long periods of time by chaining them to the bottom of a pool and not letting them up till the timer had finished. The kid drowned and when one of the other kids had tried CPR on him, the guy in charge, Lydecker, told him not to bother and to stand down. Said that if the child died then it meant he wasn't the perfect soldier they were training, so they didn't need him. Said that it was better he died during training and not on the field, where he could bring down others".

Dean had to take a deep breath because he felt the rage he felt when he had first heard the twins story, "You said that dad raised us like soldiers, but that was nothing compared with what Ben, Alec and all those other children have experienced".

After a few minutes in silence Sam speaks up, "Ben said they escaped?"

"Yeah, uh, because these assholes wanted they  _perfect_  little soldiers, anything that went wrong with them had to be dealt with, like Alec smart-mouth in Psy-Ops. Recently the kids had started getting these small shakes in the hands and stuff-".

"Shakes? Like seizures?"

"Yeah, me and dad are pretty sure that's what they are. Anyway, one of the kids, Jack, had a really bad seizure and the douche-bags took him away. One of the other kids went for a midnight wonder and saw them cutting Jack open. A few days later another kid from Ben's unit, Max, had a bad seizure and they started to take her away. The kids basically rebelled for the first time and took down the guards to stop them taking away the kid. They then decided to leave because they realised that they had to get out before they died too. They all left together, but Ben had to go get Alec, as he was one; in a different unit and two; he was in Psy-Ops at the time".

"How many kids are at this place?"

"Too many. Ben and Alec were from the 'X-5 series', and the boys said there were 7 X series, they were just the first ones that were looking like they could be perfect. They said that there were 4 units per series and 25 children per unit. It was only some of Ben's unit that escape, and Alec only escape too because Ben went to get him... Anyway, as they were leaving they heard the guards get given the command to capture them, but shoot to kill if any of them made it to the fence. Neither of them are sure how many others got over the fence, if any others did. They never really had time to stop and check, because Manticore has been trying to find any escapees".

"So, there are still kids there?"

"Yeah, and me and dad have already tried to think of ways to destroy Manticore... but, the two of us against, well an army" Dean shakes his head, "at the moment we are just trying to focus on trying to find any other escapees, if there are any, but we have no leads so far".

"They uh... don't all look like you, do they?"

"No, just those two little kittens. The others are clones of other people".

"Kittens... right they have cat DNA" Sam says trying to understand all the overwhelming information.

"Yeah, these guys had a bunch of women, basically become surrogates. They put the embryos into them, that they created using my and other people's DNA, then regularly gave them injections of cat DNA... Me and dad still aren't quite sure  _how_  they got my DNA, but somehow, they did and thought it was good enough to make a couple of little clones from. Have to say, they did pick the better-looking brother".

"Um, you said the kids were getting seizures. Are they still having them or...?"

"Yeah, but luckily Ben found out that drinking milk, helps stop them, or at least stops any big ones".

"That's why they drink so much milk".

Dean nods, "Plus I think it's the cat DNA showing. Anyway, Ben had found that after drinking milk, their seizures weren't so bad, so we always make sure that there is milk in the cooler for them".

"So obviously there is something in the milk, one of the ingredients, that is stopping the seizures. If all the children are having seizures then they may have a deficiency in their brain and one of the ingredients in milk is filling in for the deficiency".

"Too slow Sammy, Ben already figured that out. He wrote a list of all the ingredients in milk and under each ingredient he put a couple of other foods and drinks that contain it, so that we can eventually find what is stopping the seizures".

After a while Sam mutters, "and I thought that having the supernatural world in my life was crazy and complicated enough..."

"Tell me about it... But at least you're not the one who has two mini you's running around".

Sam scoffs "you say that, but you care about them, as though they are your actual kids".

"They are mine" Dean responds without hesitation, "Sure they may not have been made the traditional way, but those are my boys and the only way Manticore will get them back, is over my dead body".

Sam smiles, "you love them".

"Shut up".

Sam pauses before saying, "you still should have told me".

"Yeah... I... I just didn't want you to think of them as just some government experiment. They are my kids; cat DNA be damned. Besides I did tell you some truth. What I said about their personalities. And about their insecurities, it just wasn't their mother that gave them trust issues it was Manticore".

"Plus, they  _do_ know about the supernatural".

"They didn't to begin with. When me and dad first told them, Alec's words were 'great, our DNA donor is from a nut house', but as you can see, they are more believing now".

"How'd you convince them?"

"Don't ask. That is another story for another day".

Sam looks over to Dean, "I still think you're doing a pretty good job at being a dad".

"Okay, now you're being way to chick-flicky" Dean says.

"Dean, they both practically worship the ground you walk on. It's written on their faces".

"Seriously, chick-flick moment is over now Samantha".

"Jerk".

"Bitch".

Sam smirks and shakes his head, before asking, "what do they call you? I mean, they had been calling you dad, but now they're calling you Dean".

Sam could just about see the small frown that graced Dean lips, as he spoke, "the drill is that when in public, I'm dad and dad was Grampa. As I didn't want to inform you about the whole cloning thing, they had to call me dad in-front of you too".

"So now it's back to Dean?"

"Yep".

"You're not going to talk about wanting to be called dad on a full-time basis are you" Sam states.

"Don't know what you are jabbering on about" Dean says.

Sam rolls his eyes, but understands that all the talking is over with now, as Dean turns up his old music.

* * *

 

Dean pulls up in front of Sam's apartment. Reaching over, Sam nudges the clones in the backseat.

"I swear Dean!" Alec growls, "Stop waking me up, then forcing me to sleep".

"Sorry, not Dean" Sam says, causing Ben and Alec's heads to perk up, "We're back at Stanford now, so it's time for me to go".

"Oh" Ben says, his face clearly showing his upset, but he couldn't help it. All he wanted was a family, yet John was missing and Sam was leaving.

"I've enjoyed meeting my new nephews, and hopefully I'll see you both again soon" Sam gave them a smile.

"...Did you just blank the whole, we're not Dean's kids but really his genetically enhanced clone killing machines?" Alec asks.

"No, but you're family, no matter how you came into this world".

Ben's eyes light up, as did Alec's but he hid it more than Ben did. While Dean just smiled in the front seat, hoping that it would give the boys a bit more comfort and belief that they were here to stay, for good.

Sam grabs his bag and climbs out of the car. Sam bends down and looks over at Dean.

"Call me if you find him...And maybe I can meet up with you later, huh?

Dean nods, "Yeah, all right".

Sam starts to turn away before Dean calls him back.

"Sam? You know, we made a hell of a team back there".

"Yeah" Sam nods.

Dean starts the Impala up and both little boys lean over the front seat, "Bye Sam!" "See ya Sammy".

Dean smirks as he drives off.

However, as Dean turned back on to the road, both Ben and Alec start getting a horrid feeling in the pit of their stomachs.

"Dean" Ben said slowly.

"What is it Squirt?"

"Something's wrong" Ben says, as Alec nods.

Dean immediately stops the Impala and faces them with a worried face.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I don't think anything is wrong with us... there's just something wrong somewhere".

Alec looks at Dean, "I think Sam's in trouble".

"Are you sure? How do you know?"

Alec shakes his head, " I don't know, it's just... I can feel that something is wrong and it's been since Sam left".

"It could be the cat DNA... animals are known for having good instincts" Ben says.

That was all Dean needed, before he turned the Impala around and sped back to Sam's apartment.

Reaching the apartment Dean swears when he sees smoke coming from the building.

"Stay here, and I mean it. Stay in the car" Dean yells as he runs out of the Impala.

Ben and Alec's eyes follow Dean into the building. Feeling his twin's fear, Ben reaches for Alec's hand and Alec accepts. Both boy's comforting each other and sighing in relief when the see Dean leaving the building, pulling Sam with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Sam now knows the truth, and episode 1 is complete.   
> I won't be doing every episode of supernatural, because in some episodes it's hard to write Ben and Alec in with out having them sit in the car the whole time.  
> Anyway, I hope you like the chapter, and the reveal to Sam. I did find writing that quite hard to write, but I am fairly happy with how it turned out.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	7. Episode 3, Dead In The Water (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is episode 3 of supernatural.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to do most episodes, but I'll miss some out where I feel that Ben and Alec's involvement would be minimal. That way when they are in an episode, they aren't always just in the background, they will actually have something to do with the episode.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 7.  
Episode 3 (Dead in the Water).

Dean and the twins are sitting in a diner. Dean is sat circling obituaries in a newspaper, while Ben and Alec are sitting, drinking large glasses of milk. A waitress walks up to the table.

"Can I get you anything else?"

Dean looks up and grins, as he chews on a pen, at the site of the waitress.

Sam walks over and sits down, "Just the check, please".

"Okay" the waitress walks away.

Dean turns to glare at Sam, "You know, Sam, we are allowed to have fun once in a while", he points to the waitress, "That's fun".

Alec scrunches up his face, "How is she fun?"

"Does she play games or something?" Ben asks.

Dean coughs, "Or something".

Ben and Alec shrug as they take another drink of their milks.

Dean sighs and hands the newspaper over to Sam, "Here, take a look at this, I think I got one. Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, eighteen, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water; nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago".

"A funeral?"

"Yeah, it's weird, they buried an empty coffin. For, uh, closure or whatever".

"Closure? What closure? People don't just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them".

Dean looks at Sam, "Something you want to say to me?"

Alec rolls his eyes and whispers to Ben, "Here we go".

Ben nods but doesn't say anything, instead he just keeps drinking his milk.

There was always this tense feeling surrounding Sam and Dean. All of them knew it, but it was basically an unwritten rule that it you don't talk about it. But Ben really didn't like the tenseness. He was praying to the Blue Lady to help sort things out, but so far nothings really changed.

Ever since Sam's girlfriend had died... well obviously he was pretty upset and had been having a lot of nightmares.

They had stayed for a while to try and find the demon, but it was long gone according to Dean. So, they had gone to the place John had sent them Colorado, Blackwater Ridge. Dean had forced him and Alec to stay at the motel, because he claimed that even though they hadn't been sure what it was at the time, it was still too dangerous for them... a couple of super soldiers.

Turned out it was a Wendigo, which Dean made Ben and Alec read up on when he got back as it was something they hadn't covered yet in there, as Alec calls it 'hunter learning'. For a few days after that Sam wasn't too bad, he was a little more himself... but now he was back being moody and pissed off that John wasn't around.

Which lead to things being tense between Sam and Dean, because Dean was finding hunts instead of John.

Ben wasn't sure which brothers side he was on. On one hand, he wanted to find John and make sure he was okay... he missed him. On the other hand, he could see that if there was a hunt, it was important to kill the monster before it could hurt anymore people.

Sam looks at Dean, "The trail for Dad. It's getting colder every day".

"Exactly. So, what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know. Something. Anything".

"Sam's asking for it now" Alec says just loud enough for Ben's cat ears to pick up.

"You know what? I'm sick of this attitude. You don't think I wanna find Dad as much as you do?"

"Yeah, I know you do, it's just-".

"I'm the one that's been with him every single day for the past two years, while you've been off to college going to pep rallies. We will find Dad, but until then, we're gonna kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?"

Not knowing what to do, Ben and Alec just continue drink their milk, watching the brother's like a tennis match.

Sam rolls his eyes, "All right, Lake Manitoc" Sam looks at Dean, only to see his attention was back on the waitress, "Hey!"

"Huh?" Dean looks back at Sam.

"Sam was saying that we should go check out the case" Ben says, pushing his empty glass away.

"Right, off we go then" Dean grins.

* * *

 

"Wait in the car" Alec grumbles, "It's always 'wait in the car'".

Ben was resitting the urge to either punch his brother or start banging his head on the window... maybe both.

"Will you just shut up" he glares at him, "We can't exactly go in there and pretend to be FBI agents or whatever else. They may suspect that we're fakes because we're child size".

Alec huffs and crosses his arms.

The Impala doors open, and Sam and Dean both sit back in. Looking back Dean see's the sour looks on both boy's faces.

"What's happened in here? You two kitty's have a hissing match?"

"He's insufferable" Ben states.

"He's got a stick up his ass" Alec says.

"Oi Alec, watch the mouth-"

"I learned the word from you" he points out.

"Do as I say and not as I...do?" Dean scrunches his eyebrows, "Scratch that... Just don't... Just shush".

Alec glares but says nothing more. Dean turns back around and starts the Impala up.

"So, what happened to the girl?" Ben asks.

"She was a great swimmer, practically lived in the water, so the brother believes there was no way she just drowned. She had been a long way out but he didn't see or hear anything. She just went down".

Ben sighs, "What could have done it?"

"No sure at the minute, we're going down to the sheriff's office. See what they have".

"Let me guess, we'll have to wait in the car" Alec bites.

Ben reaches over and punches Alec in the arm. Alec retaliates and punches him back.

"Boys!" Dean yells, and both of them immediately stop, "Look, I get that your both board, but that doesn't mean, to waste time you start a punching match. Apologise, both of you".

"Sorry" they both mumble.

Sam smirks to himself. Dean was really becoming a father.

"You shut your face" Dean looks at Sam.

"What the hell did I say?!"

"It's what your face said".

Sam bites his tongue while bitch facing Dean.

* * *

 

"Finally" Alec exclaims as Dean returns to the Impala from talking to the sheriff.

"Where's Sam?" Ben asks.

"At the motel" Dean says, switching on the engine, "It's just a couple of blocks away".

"Did you get any new information from the sheriff?"

"Just that the lake, where the people are drowning, isn't going to be there much longer".

Ben nods and settles back into the seat, "So that could be causing whatever this is to start attacking more, because the water it's in won't be around much longer".

Dean nods, then pauses and looks at the boys, "You're kids".

"Well, considering you keep telling us that, you should already know that" Alec smirks.

"Then that's at least two kids I know! But no, apparently Sam say's you guys don't count".

Alec and Ben share a look of confusion. What the hell was he talking about. Shaking his head, Alec leans forward and pat's Dean on the shoulder.

"It's okay, Dean. It's okay".

Dean bitch faces him, "sit down".

"Sorry. Just trying to help you through your mid-life crisis".

"My... I'm 26! I'm not having a mid-life crisis".

"Whatever helps you sleep at night" Alec shrugs.

Dean parks the Impala at the motel and turns to face Alec, "No T.V. for you tonight, for that smartass comment".

"What!" Alec's eyes go wide as Dean gets out, "You really  _are_  becoming on old fuddy duddy".

Dean opens the boy's door, "I heard that. Wanna make it a week's worth of no telly?"

Alec bites his tongue and shakes his head, "No sir".

Dean wasn't a fan of making the boys unhappy, but he had learnt early on that they needed some rules and consequences for breaking the rules. Ben needs them to feel safe and to have control. Alec needs them to feel safe and so that he wasn't running wild. And they both need rules to stop their fighting from becoming homicidal. Dean had really learnt the hard way... ... ...

_He and dad were coming back from a hunt. Opening the door to the motel room, Dean and John froze at the sight._

_The table chairs were knocked over, the beds were a mess and all over the place, there was a lamp smashed on the floor and a hole in the wall._

_Ben and Alec were in the middle of the mess, on the floor fighting... and it wasn't a brotherly boxing match. They both were hitting hard and fast, looking to make the other bleed._

_After a moment of watching the sight, Dean and John sprung to action as Alec sat on top of Ben and started sending fist after fist to his brother's face. John grabbed Alec and pulled him away from Ben, while Dean grabbed Ben and pulled him off the floor._

_Alec lunged for Ben, but John was just about able to hold him back._

_"The hell is going on here!" Dean yells._

_Ben started to cry as Alec struggled in Johns grip._

_Dean looks at his John, completely lost and freaking out. Sighing John dragged the struggling Alec to the bathroom._

_"Stay in here till you've calmed down" John barked as he shut the door._

_Dean leads the crying Ben to one of the beds and sits him down._

_"Hey Benny... Squirt what happened?" Dean says as he grabs a cloth and wets it under the kitchen tap._

_Ben shakes his head as he cries. Dean crouches down in front of him and daps the cloth on Ben's lip._

_"I-I-I...I.." Ben sobs, "I...I-I'm s-s-sorry. P-please don't g...get rid of us"._

_"Ben, I don't know what we have to say or do for you to understand that we aren't getting rid of either you or Alec" Dean sighs, "even if you kill someone or worse... destroy my Zeppelin tape. You're both stuck with us"._

_Ben sniffs and coughs some more sobs out._

_"You need to tell us what happened" John says in his sergeant voice._

_"We were doing what you had told us to do, going through the books and doing some research on different monsters and stuff... Alec started getting bored and started to mess around" Ben looks down at his feet, "I told him to stop misbehaving and get back to the research. He didn't, he kept being bad... I told him to stop being bad or else you might get rid of us"._

_Dean closes his eyes and sighed._

_"Alec got really mad and started yelling, so I yelled back and told him he was bad and this was why he was the one that was always in Psy-Ops. Then he threw the lamp at me and then hit me, so I hit him back" Ben's mouth started wavering, "I'm sorry Dean!"_

_"Ben" Dean sighed._

_These boys..._

_Manticore had emotionally damaged both boys. Ben had it drilled into his head that if he wasn't perfect, he gets taken away. While Alec, he was always told he was a bad soldier, that he was subordinate, and while he pretended he didn't give a damn, he did... And both had major abandonment issues._

_Dean was aware that while Alec was the one who through the first punch, it was really Ben who had started the fight, whether Ben was aware he started it or not. Alec should have not have hit his brother, no matter what, but he didn't start it. The words Ben had said to him had._

_Dean knew that Alec put on a happy, witty bravado. He pretended, a lot like himself Dean had to admit, that he was brave and that nothing could faze him._

_But Dean also knew that wasn't always the case. Alec would pretend that he didn't care that he was 'bad' but Dean knew, that each time Ben called him bad or incompetent, it hit Alec hard... It was only a matter of time till he snapped._

_Why didn't Dean see this coming!_

_Sighing Dean looked at Ben, "Look Ben... Alec seems like he doesn't care about anything, right?"_

_Ben nods his head._

_"But the thing is, it's all an act. Alec pretends he's big and brave and that he doesn't need anyone... But he's actually worries about being left, just as much as you. He just thinks that if he acts like he doesn't care, then if anything bad happens, it will hurt less" Dean explains, "And Ben... When you call him bad, Alec doesn't show it, but it hurts him"._

_John adds in, "Sometimes words hurt more than actions. The pain of a punch is over quicker than the pain of words"._

_Ben looks up at Dean and John with wide eyes, "I hurt Alec?"_

_Dean nods gently, "I know you didn't mean to, you were just saying it because of how Manticore raised you... but yeah Benny... those words hurt Alec. That's why he hit you. He wanted to hurt you, like he felt you were hurting him"._

_"I didn't mean to hurt him! I just wanted him to do as he was told" Ben cried._

_"I know Ben, I know. But now you understand your word can hurt, so you need to be more careful in what you say. Okay"._

_Ben nods with tears falling down his face._

_"Good" Dean said as he pulled Ben into a hug._

_"Ben, why don't you watch some telly for a bit. Me and Dean need to talk to Alec" John said._

_"Y...your not going to get rid of him... right?"_

_"Nah, course not" Dean ruffled his hair._

_Ben nodded and sat down on the sofa, flicking to some random channel._

_John grabs Dean's arm before he could go to Alec._

_"What?"_

_In a hushed voice John says, "You did a good job talking with Ben, but I think that this situation calls for more than just words"._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"As we agreed. These boys are your responsibility... but Dean, it's been a few months now, and sure you've told them the ground rules but you haven't enforced them. You haven't told them what the punishment would be if they broke a rule... These boys need rules, because having rules gives children a sense of stability and safeness, which these two need... Ben craves rules so much he makes up his own and sets up his own punishments, which obviously doesn't sit well with Alec. But he also needs them, so that he understands that there are boundaries and consequences for his actions"._

_Dean sighs... right of course. He knew Ben like to have control and he knew that Alec need to learn to have some control._

_He was seriously failing at this parent thing. Ben likes rules, so when Dean didn't give him any, he made his own. Ben would force his rules on Alec who hates rules and would then act out. Which then would cause Ben to 'punish' him, which leads to Alec acting out more._

_Of course, one of them was going to blow eventually... he should have seen it..._

_"I'm going to talk to Alec first... then the boys can have an early night while I think of all the rules they need and what the consequence will be if they break them. In the morning, we'll have a family meeting and talk through the new rules and consequences" Dean sighs._

_"Just as long as you remember to enforce the rules. If one of them breaks a rule, you have to go through with the punishment, or else they won't bother following the rules, and in a few months time we'll be doing this again"._

_Dean nods before entering the bathroom where Alec was cooling down._

_Closing the door behind him, Dean looked at Alec, who was sat on the floor with his back against the bath, looking at his lap. Dean slowly sat down next to Alec in the tiny bathroom. He could see dark patches on Alec's lap from where his tears had hit his jeans._

_"Go on then" Alec hissed, "Say it. You're kicking me out and keeping the good clone"._

_"Alec... You're not bad" Dean said, "I know that Ben's words hurt you and that's why you lashed out-"._

_"No..." Alec sniffled, "I wasn't hurt by some stupid words"._

_"Buddy. You don't have to pretend with me" Dean puts his hand on Alec's head, "Sure, I hate chick-flick moments like this... but if you need to talk, then I am willing to suffer though a girly talk for you. I know Ben's word hurt you... but you need to know, that you're **not**  bad. You're just a kid, who has never had freedom before and is just getting a bit carried away. You're not bad Alec, and we're not kicking you out"._

_"But I'm not perfect like Ben" Alec's voice cracked._

_Dean pulled Alec into his side, "I don't won't you to be perfect, I want you to be Alec... he's much more fun"._

_"I am pretty awesome" Alec mumbled._

_"You're my clone, damn right your awesome" Dean grinned, "...And Ben's not perfect either. Encase you hadn't noticed... he's a bit of a control freak"._

_"You don't say" Alec's voice dripped with sarcasm._

_Dean turned Alec's face to him, so he could look him in his eyes, "You're not perfect and neither is Ben. You both have faults, but everyone does, even me and dad. It's normal to have faults"._

_"We're meant to be the perfect soldiers-"._

_"I don't want you to be perfect. Either of you" Dean says, "If you or Ben were perfect, then that would mean that you'd boring... and that would suck"._

_Alec shrugged, "I guess so"._

_"I like you and Ben the way you guys are... You just have to work on some things is all. Not just you, Ben too"._

_"So... so you're not going to... I get to stay?" Alec said with his eye's filled with worry and hope._

_"Buddy, you're stuck with me. Your so stuck with me, you're going to be sick of me"._

_"I don't think that I ever will be sick of you" Alec said quietly, "...Tell anyone I said something so girly, I'll deny everything!"_

_Dean chuckled before getting serious again, "I'm not going to get rid of you, but we are going to have to work on somethings. First, while I like that you cause mischief because it's part of your charm... you need to respect and follow the rules. They are set to keep you and Ben safe. I don't mind you having fun, I **want**  you to have fun, but you need to know when your idea of fun crosses a line, and when it crosses the line you need to learn to stop. Tomorrow I going to be setting down some new rules and you will have to follow them or else you'll face the consequences. Both you and Ben need these rules and will benefit from them"._

_Alec grumbled slightly but said nothing._

_"Secondly... While I understand that Ben's words hurt you... You should not have hit him. He is your brother and you don't hurt your brother. I have already talked to Ben and he know understands that words can hurt, but like I said, you should not have thrown a fist into his face. Brothers look out for each other"._

_"I just got so angry" Alec said._

_"I know... but it wasn't anger you were feeling... well if was a bit of anger, but mostly it was hurt. You were hurt by Ben's words so you lashed out. You wanted to hurt him like he hurt you"._

_"I feel bad about it now"._

_"Yeah, I know you do Bud" Dean sighs, "But like I was saying, you lashed out at him in the moment, with no thoughts to your actions. You can't do that. I know that when your angry and hurt it's hard to think before you act, but you need to try. Okay. You and I have similar personalities. Sometimes I act before I think, and that gets me in trouble like you. But we're going to work on it together okay. Whenever you're feeling angry or hurt by anything, walk away before the situation gets worse. Go somewhere else to think and calm down, count to 10 in your head, or hell just tell me or dad. Do anything but hit Ben"._

_"Cuz, he's my brother and brother look out for each other" Alec says._

_Dean smiled, "Exactly"._

_"Even when he may really deserve it?"_

_"That's a difficult one... but sometimes the situation may call for you to actually knock sense into your brother. Just once though, you don't beat sense into him. But it's about thinking and judging the situation, which you can't do if your mad"._

_"So... go away and calm down. Think about why I'm angry and if Ben deserve to get hit?" Alec checks._

_"You got it Al"._

_Alec nods, feeling happier and slightly relieved._

_Dean slowly gets up from his cramped position on the floor, "Come on then, Bud. You and Ben need to have a chat"._

_Alec sighs as he stands, "John's not going to yell, is he?"_

_"Nah. It's in the past now. Tomorrow we start fresh, new rules and consequences and happy, safe clones"._

_Dean grabs the bathroom door handle, but stops when Alec's arms wrap around him. Smiling to himself, Dean hugs the tiny transgenic back._

_Alec pulls away after a moment, cuz he's done with the girly crap now, "Hey Dean? You said that even you and John had faults. What's your fault?"_

_"My fault is being too damn handsome" Dean grins as Alec groans, "Hey you are my clone, that means eventually you'll be as good looking as me"._

_Alec shakes his head but can't stop his mouth from turning up in to a smile as Dean opens the door._

_Dean knew that even when the new rules were set, there would still be problems and fights... he just hoped that it wouldn't be as bad and any fights between the boys, would lead to blood being spilled... ... ..._

To be fair to the boys, since that day, they have been a lot better. Sure, they still fought, but at least now they weren't trying to actually kill each other. Ben loved the rules and Alec hated them, but after a while he started to respect them and follow them. Every now and then he broke a rule, Ben too, but that was to be expected, and Dean wouldn't have it any other way.

"Right, grab your bags. We're in that room there" Dean pointed to the motel room Sam was in.

Dean watched as the boys walked over and into the room, as he grabbed his and Sam's duffels.

Ben still called Alec bad every now and then and Alec still caused quite a bit of trouble, but at least now it wasn't constant and neither had started a fight for blood since. Dean was happy.

Now though he had to deal with Sam and his bitchy-ness. But, you can't win all battles, and Sam with his girly/bitchy-ness was not a battle Dean thought he could ever win.

Though, as long as he had his brother and his boys, Dean didn't really care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was mostly about the flashback. I tried to make Dean seem as much like himself as possible, while he was talking with Ben and Alec. I hope I pulled it off.  
> The reason for the long flashback is because for the first half of this episode, I didn't really know how to put Ben and Alec in, without them sitting in the car for most of it. So, to juice it up a little, I did the flashback.  
> In the next chapter Ben and Alec should have more of a role in the hunt, much to Dean's dismay ;) Promise!  
> Thanks for reading :)


	8. Dead In The Water (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick thank you to everyone who has kudos my work so far... Thank you.  
> Now, please enjoy :)

Chapter 8.  
Episode 3 (Dead in the Water).

_"What are we meant to do here?" Alec asked as he and Ben looked around at the herd of children, who were running, yelling and climbing._

_"Your meant to go play and have fun" Dean says._

_Ben couldn't see how playing with normal children, who were full of germs and screaming at each other, was fun. He preferred going to the open patches of land, where it was just grass and trees. Not this... this child infested place, with pathetic climbing frames and crying babies._

_"This is fun?" Ben said slowly._

_"It's a park, kids love parks" Dean said._

_"Never been to one" Alec looks around some more with a disgusted look on his face at the other snotty children._

_"Yeah, cuz you've been locked up in a secret government facility till now" Dean rolled his eyes, "Trust me, parks are fun"._

_"So are books" Ben looked at Dean._

_"Just go and play for a bit. If you aren't having fun within 10 minutes, we'll leave. I just thought that it would be a good way to release some of your energy and get you out of the motel for a bit"._

_Alec and Ben sighed. Transgenics had more energy than normal children, and it had been a while since they had been able to release their energy... Maybe the park wouldn't be so bad._

_"Fine" Alec grumbled, while Ben sighed._

_Together, they walk towards the swarm of tiny people. Both sticking by each other, with anxiety rising inside them slightly._

_Dean sat down on one of the 'mum' benches, and it turned out that he didn't have to get up until about an hour later, when he decided it was time to go get some lunch. It took a good 10 minutes to finally round up both transgenics, as it was clear that both boys enjoyed their first time at the park, despite their initial nervousness towards it._

_"I don't want to go" Alec moaned, "I want to keep playing with Zander, Toby and Harry. We were playing knight's"._

_"The big climbing frame is our castle. We need to protect it from the dragon" Ben added._

_Dean couldn't keep the smile off his face. He was happy that they boys were actually having normal childhood fun and making friends... Well, friends they'd never see again, but still, it was really nice to see... ... ..._

Children are running around, playing and laughing. A group of boy's stomp across the bridge, with Alec and Ben in front of the charge. Dean grins as he sees them run by. Shaking his head, he and Sam head over to the bench, where Andrea is sat, watching Lucas.

"Can we join you?" Sam asks.

Andrea looks up, "I'm here with my son".

"My boys are running around here somewhere" Dean says, "Mind if I say hi to Lucas?"

Dean heads over to Lucas, who is sat down colouring, with some toy soldiers scattered next to him.

Ben pauses in his game as he sees Dean kneeling down next to some child. He felt a flare of possessiveness rise in him. However, he pushes it down, because his rational brain told him that the child Dean was talking to, must be the kid who saw his dad drown, so it was for the case.

He turn's when he gets nudged slightly. He turns to see Alec give him a questioning look.

"I think that's the kid Dean and Sam talked about. The one who saw the drowning of his dad".

Alec looks the scene up and down, watching Dean interact with the child that wasn't him or Ben. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, but all he knew was he didn't like seeing Dean being all buddy-buddy with another child.

It was silly, Alec knew he was being silly. The kid had watched his dad die and Alec was standing there wanting to drag Dean away from him. Alec knew that wasn't nice of him to think like that, but... Dean was his and Ben's.

Composing himself, Alec turns to Ben, "Let's go help him, he might talk to us. Cuz don't kids talk to kids?"

"I believe they usually are more likely to talk to their fellow peers more so then an adult" Ben nods.

Quickly jumping down from the climbing frame, landing on their feet of course thanks to their feline-ness, the boys walk over towards Dean.

"So, crayons are more your thing? That's cool. Chicks dig artists. My son, Ben, he's great at drawing" they hear once they get closer, "hey, these are pretty good. You mind if I sit and draw with you for a while?"

Dean picks up a crayon and a pad of paper, ""I'm not so bad myself".

"Hey dad" Alec interrupts once they reach the bench.

"Alec, Ben... Lucas, these are my sons. Boy's this is Lucas" Dean says.

"Hiya" Alec plonks himself down next to Dean, "Cool, you like soldiers. They're awesome".

"Your pictures are nice" Ben say's while he stands.

Lucas says nothing and continues drawing.

"You know, I'm thinking you can hear me, you just don't want to talk. I don't know exactly what happened to your dad, but I know it was something really bad. I think I know how you feel. When I was your age, I saw something" Dean says.

Ben and Alec look at each other, both wondering about what Dean just said. What did he see?

"Anyway. Well, maybe you don't think anyone will listen to you, or, uh...or believe you. I want you to know that I will. You don't even have to say anything. You could draw me a picture about what you saw that day, with your dad, on the lake" Dean pauses but sees that Lucas still isn't going to answer, "Okay, no problem. This is for you".

Dean shows Lucas the picture he drew. Both clones look at it and feel warmth spread throw them.

"This is my family. That's my dad. That's my mom. That's my geek brother, and that's me. Then these two little ones are Ben and Alec" he points to each person on the picture.

"Hey... why do me and Ben have pointy ears?" Alec asks.

"There cat ears" Dean smirks and Ben physically face palms himself.

Alec was not kidding. He was seriously going to pee on Dean's bed sooner or later. However, he decided to ignore Dean for now and focus on the kid. His head was still down and was still yet to speak... What could have freaked this kid out so much? It couldn't all be from seeing his father die... or could it? Alec still didn't understand normal people's emotions yet... They were just so confusing to him.

"All right, so I'm a sucky artist. I'll see you around, Lucas" Dean stands and nods for Ben and Alec to follow.

Ben quickly appears at Dean's side and grabs his hand as they head back to Sam and Andrea.

Alec stands from the bench, but before he walks away, he turns back to Lucas.

"I don't know what happened or what you saw... but I know that you saw something bad happen to your dad. I don't even want to think about what that's like" Alec pauses and looks over at Dean, "my dad says it's ok to be scared sometimes. I think that if your scared then you need to try and do something about it, do something to make yourself less scared... or do something to get rid of whatever scares you... My dad wants to help you".

With that Alec walks away and quickly catches up with Ben and Dean, Ben giving him a look telling him he heard the conversation and was pleased with what Alec had said.

"Lucas hasn't said a word, not even to me. Not since his dad's accident" Andrea says once Dean and the twins reach the bench.

"Yeah, we heard. Sorry" Dean says.

"What are the doctors saying?" Sam asks

"That it's a kind of post-traumatic stress".

"That can't be easy. For either of you".

"We moved in with my dad. He helps out a lot. It's just...when I think about what Lucas went through, what he saw..."

"Kids are strong. You'd be surprised what they can deal with" Dean says, pulling Ben and Alec into his sides, in a sort of one armed hug in disguise.

"You know, he used to have such life. He was hard to keep up with, to tell you the truth"

"I know just what you mean. I got double trouble" Dean grins.

Andrea smiles softly before saying, "Now he just sits there. Drawing those pictures, playing with those army men. I just wish-".

Lucas walks over interrupting Andrea, with a picture in his hands.

"Hey sweetie".

Lucas gives Dean the picture he was holding. 

"Thanks, Lucas" Dean says, a little confused.

Lucas walks away, very briefly looking at Alec, before turning his gaze to the floor. Ben and Alec look at each other, then shrug.

* * *

 

"Why would Lucas draw Mr Carlton's house?" Ben asks, "Why not the lake? That's how the people are dying"

He, Alec and Dean are sat in a diner. Alec is ramming his mouth full of pie, a lot like Dean is. While Ben actually chews his food before it goes down, and is actually breathing in between bites. Ben's in a decent mood at the moment, because he gets to call Dean, 'dad', as they are in public and people may over hear them. Getting to call him dad, always puts Ben in a good mood.

Swallowing a mouthful of pie, Dean says "Don't know... but somethings going on over there with that lake".

"You don't say" Alec rolls his eyes.

Dean gave Alec and even look, "You've already lost T.V. privileges for tonight for one smart ass comment today Alec. Be careful".

Alec huffs and pouts, Dean was being a grump today. Deciding to not get into any more trouble, Alec goes back to shovelling pie into his mouth.

"Anyway, Sam's going to swing by the house. See if there's anything going on" Dean says.

"Could something be haunting the lake, or is there like a giant fish demon monster in it..." Ben says, "...is giant fish demon monster a real thing?"

"No... Well, I'm pretty sure it's not a real thing" says Dean.

"It would be cool if it was!" Alec grins, "I'd have one as a pet".

"Where would you keep it?"

"The bathtub. Duh" Alec says, as though it was completely obvious.

"If it was a giant fish demon monster, I think it would be too big for a bath tub. Plus, you'd have to move it from bathroom to bathroom, each time we moved, and no way in hell would I let a giant fish demon monster hitch a ride in my baby".

Ben just sits there in amazement that this conversation was actually happening...

"What if you put a trailer on the car and put Robert in that?" Alec asks.

"One, No! I'm not putting a trailer on my baby. Two, Robert?"

"That's the giant fish demon monsters name".

Dean pauses for a second, "Why Robert?"

Alec shrugs, "I just came to me and now I think it suits him".

"What if it's a girl?"

"Then I'll call her Sally".

Sometimes, Ben really wondered how he could be Deans clone and Alec's twin... especially when they have conversations about things like this... _serious_  conversions.

"Uh dad... Maybe we should get back to what could actually be in the lake?" Ben says.

"Hey! Robert and/or Sally could be in the lake. All dad said was that they probably didn't exist... they still might, and if they are, they'll be coming home with us!" Alec declares.

"I'm not letting one giant fish demon monster in my baby, let alone two" Dean interrupts the boys, "Anyway, back on subject. It could be a number of things. It could be something in the water... or maybe just something controlling it".

Alec goes back to eating the last few mouthfuls of pie... he could totally train Robert and Sally to do tricks, like jumping through hoops or something. Of course, he'd also have to train them to  _not_  kill people, that was kind of important. Don't need any more drowning's.

His pauses his thoughts and his hand that was about to put a piece of pie in his mouth.

He felt a twinge in his hand that was on his lap... a horribly familiar twinge.

He slowly puts his fork down as he feels his hand twitch with a sharp pain.

"Dad..." Alec panickily says, but still calls him dad as they were in public.

Dean immediately hears the panic in Alec's voice and turns to him, "what's wrong Al?"

"I think I could do with some milk... too go" Alec grabs his twitchy hand with his, at the moment, steady hand.

Dean's eyes widen slightly. Shit.

During the first few months after the clones had entered his life, and a few more every now and then, Dean has experienced his fair share of these seizures.

The first time it happened it was with Alec. Suddenly the boy had just drop to the ground shaking. Ben was completely calm during the episode... while Dean hates to admit it but... he freaked out... and his voice may have gone slightly higher in pitch.

Neither of the boys had told him or John about the seizures during the conversation about who they were when they had first met... So, Dean had thought the boy was dying or something.

Once Alec's seizures had stopped, the boy's explained to Dean what had happened and why it happened. Before that Dean had just assumed that they drank a lot of milk because of the cat DNA.

The next time a seizure occurred, Dean handled it a lot better than before, and this time it was Ben who didn't have enough milk in him at that moment in time and he hit the floor, shaking.

The longer the boys spent with him, the less seizures they had because both clones become more constant with their milk drinking.

They had found that usually a glass a milk a day, kept the seizures away... but sometimes the seizures would still pop up every now and then. It just depended on what the chemicals in their bodies were doing in their bodies that day. And just because one twin had a seizure, didn't mean that the other would have one at the same time.

That had only happened once, both boys seizing within minutes of each other. He never wanted to go through that again.

"Okay" Dean stands, "You two head to the Impala. I'll get some milk. I don't think we have a lot left in the car, I was going to grab some later".

Alec nod's and stands up. At the moment, it was only painful twinges and a shaky hand. If he could get some milk, it should hopeful stay just painful twinges and not go to a full-blown seizure.

Ben follows next to Alec, making sure he's ok. He knew all too well what the seizures were like.

They left the diner and made their way towards the Impala.

"Aren't you two adorable" an old woman says, as they walk past her in the parking lot.

"Thank you Ma'am" Ben says politely, while trying to continue towards the Impala.

"Are you twins?"

Are we twins? _Noooo, we're just strangers who just met today and happen to look exactly like each other, how amazing is that!..._  Are we freaking twins? Seriously?! Alec couldn't understand why people always asked them that... He and Ben looked exactly alike of course they were bloody twins! What other answer, apart from 'yes', did these people ever expect?

"Yes Ma'am" Ben says, trying not to roll his eyes at the stupid question.

"Oh, and you're so polite. It's lovely to see young boys like yourselves, with manners. It's rare to see these days" the old woman continues.

"Thank you Ma'am" Ben says, trying to stay polite, but he really just wanted to get to the Impala. Plus, he could tell Alec was starting to get irritated with this woman.

"Are you boys here all alone?" she asks concerned.

"No, Ma'am. Our dad is just inside paying. We were just on the way to the car".

"Well don't let me stop you then. Have a lovely day boys".

"You too Ma'am".

Ben and Alec quickly turn and walk away before she could strike up another conversation.

Alec sighs in relief when sees the Impala... however it quickly turns into a groan as his leg jerks in pain and he falls down, the only reason he didn't hit the ground was because Ben grabbed his arm as he fell.

"Shit. That hurt slightly" Alec tries to laugh it off, but another twinge hits his leg.

"Whoa Buddy" Dean comes up behind the boys.

He hands Ben the milk so his arms are free to scoop up Alec.

Alec happily wraps his arms around Dean's neck and lets himself be carried to the car, his hand and leg twitching too painfully to care.

Dean opens the back door and sit's Alec down on the seat. Ben gives Dean the milk, then goes around to the other door to get in.

"Okay, Buddy" Dean says gently, sticking the straw into the milk carton and handing to Alec, "drink up Bud".

Alec quickly drinks up the milk, the twitches and jerks still painfully happening. He was just praying he wasn't going to go in to full seizure mode.

Dean was kneeling down by Alec's open door making sure he was good, "I'm going to drive back to the motel. Do you think you'll be good till then?"

Alec nods, still drinking the milk and wince from the pain.

"You got him Squirt? Just encase" Dean looks at Ben.

"Yeah" Ben nods.

Dean closes the door and climbs into the front of the Impala. Starting the engine, he looks in his mirror just to make sure Alec was okay, before driving off back to the motel.

* * *

 

Once the Impala is parked in the lot, Dean gets out and opens Alec's door.

Alec had finished the first milk and had almost finished the second one as they reached the motel. His body was still trembling and aching slightly, but it looked like the milk had done the trick and stopped it from getting any worse... well, this time at least.

"Right, you okay to walk Al?" Dean asks

Alec thinks for a moment. He likes to pretend that he's independent and wasn't a baby like Ben... but he really likes it when Dean carries him. Of course, he'd  _never_ admit that to anyone.

"Uh... I think so" Alec moans as he moves. His muscles throbbing. He really wished he was like Ben and could happily admit to wanting to be carried. Now he was going to have to walk in pain to the room. Plus, he was feeling really tired now.

Dean raises an eyebrow "...Really? You can walk? Al... drop the act".

He reaches down slightly and picks Alec up. Dean locks up the Impala once Ben gets out, then walks over to the room. Alec sank into Dean and closes his tired eyes. With one hand, he unlocks the door and indicates for Ben to head in first.

"Looks like Sam's not back yet" Ben states before moving Dean's duffel off the bed, so that Dean could lay the drowsy Alec down.

Alec let's out a quiet groan in protest as Dean releases him on the bed, but quickly turns over, snuggling his face into the pillow and falling asleep.

"How you feeling Benny? Need any milk yourself?" Dean asks, finally relaxing onto the chair.

"No, I'm fine Dean" Ben smiles, plopping himself onto the other bed, and rummages around in his bag.

"You any closer to figuring out what ingredient it is in the milk that stops these seizures, mini Einstein?"

"No, but I have ruled out of few things" Ben says as he pulls out his pad of paper and a couple of crayons, "it's narrowed down the list slightly".

Dean nods, "well that's good then".

The room falls into a comfortable silence, apart from the scribbling of crayons to paper and the occasional little snore from Alec.

Dean grins. He really like this. It felt so right and normal, that he couldn't really remember what it was like without them.

The motel door opens about ten minutes later and Sam walks in.

"So, I think it's safe to say we can rule out Nessie" Say says.

"What do you mean?"

Sam takes a seat next to Dean, "I just drove past the Carlton house. There was an ambulance there. Will Carlton is dead".

"He drowned?"

"Yep. In the sink".

Ben's eyebrows shoot up, "the sink?"

"What the hell?" Dean says, just as shocked as Ben, "So you're right, this isn't a creature. We're dealing with something else".

"Yeah, but what?" Sam says.

"I don't know. Water wraith, maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water...water that comes from the same source".

"The lake" Sam nods.

"Why can't it be a creature?" Ben asks, pushing away his drawing.

"If it was a creature, then the only place it could kill people would be the lake, cuz that's where it would be living. It wouldn't have been able to kill someone using the sink" Sam explains.

Ben sighs, "Alec's going to be disappointed. He was really looking forward to bring Robert and Sally back".

"What?"

"Robert and Sally, the giant fish demon monsters, that he wanted to keep as pets" Dean says, "Al made them up. Doesn't matter. Back to whatever it is controlling the water from the lake".

Sam continues to look completely confused, but carry's on with the discussion, "Yeah...uh, it would explain why it's upping the body count. The lake is draining. It'll be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it's running out of time".

"And if it can get through the pipes...then it can get to anyone, almost anywhere. Right?" Ben says.

Dean nods, "This is gonna happen again soon".

"And we do know one other thing for sure. We know this  _has_  got something to do with Bill Carlton".

"Yeah, it took both his kids".

"And I've been asking around. Lucas's dad, Chris. He was Bill Carlton's godson".

"We're going to have to pay Mr Carlton a visit then" Dean sighs.

He didn't like leaving either of the boys when one of them had a seizure, or an almost seizure. But lives could be on the line, so he didn't have much choice. Hopefully Alec would stay sleep till he and Sam got back, and Ben can easily amuse himself.

"Ben, will you be okay here. Keeping an eye on Alec and holding down the fort" Dean asks.

"Yeah, you can count on me Dean. I am a super powered soldier after all" Ben grins.

Dean smirks and ruffles his hair, "I know I can always count on you".

"Wait. What happened to Alec?" Sam asks with slight worry, "Is he okay?"

"He almost had one of those seizures I told you about" Dean says, grabbing his jacket, "He's fine now, he only needed some extra milk in his system. Just sore and tired. He's sleeping it off and he'll be bouncing off the walls again in no time".

"You sure?" Sam asks looking at the sleeping boy, "He looks a bit pale".

"Trust me, we've done this rodeo many times before. He'll be up and annoying you again by tomorrow at the latest".

"Okay" Sam nods and looks at Alec, who was curled up, almost into a ball, on the bed, "How is he comfortable".

"He  _is_  part cat" Dean grins and Ben groans. The cat jokes were just painful to hear, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. That wasn't my best jab".

Ben just shakes his head.

"Right, we'll be back as soon as possible" Dean says, grabbing the Impalas keys, "Lock the door, put salt down and don't leave the room".

"I wouldn't leave Alec" Ben rolls his eyes.

"I know you wouldn't, I'm just going over the rules for my benefit" Dean smiles and ruffles Ben's hair again, "If you need anything, or something doesn't feel right, or whatever, call either me or Sam. One of us will answer".

Dean writes his and Sam's current phone numbers on some paper and leaves it on the table.

"There is a carton of milk or two in the fridge, if you need it and some food too".

Sam smirks from the door way. His brother was acting like a mother hen, leaving her children for the first time.

"I know Dean" Ben sighs, "I'll be fine and I've got Alec".

"Okay" Dean sighs as follows Sam out of the room, "Lock the door and call me if you need me".

"Bye Dean" Ben says as he shuts the door.

Dean waits outside of the door till he hears it lock.

"Dude, you just told me Alec would be fine, why are you worrying so much?" Sam grins.

"Just because he's going to be fine, doesn't mean I like leaving them alone in the motel" Dean unlocks his baby.

"You're a really good dad".

"Shut up Samantha, we are not doing this now".

Sam rolls his eyes at his brother's denial. Dean, whether he'd admit it or not, a father to those boys. He was a natural at it. He took to fatherhood, almost like a duck takes to water. He loved them and Sam could easily tell that the boys loved him too.

Sam had to admit, it was hard  _not_  to love those boys. They were an adorable double act. Full of trouble and mischief, but adorable all the same. Both boys had quickly wiggled their way into his heart, and honestly, Sam was really happy to have them in their lives. He and Dean needed them, Dean especially.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is a slightly longer chapter for you all. I hope it was good.  
> I deliberately didn't add in a flashback for the first time Dean found out about the seizures, BUT don't worry, I WILL write that flashback, just not for this chapter. It will be for another one later down the road :)  
> I tried to make the chapter with more Ben and Alec in, without them being in the car having nothing to do with the actual hunt (I PROMISE that they will be involved in this hunt).  
> Anyway, keep those kudos coming.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	9. Dead In The Water (part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter for this episode, and then we'll be on to the next one. This is one of the more longer chapters, I think the longest I've written so far.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 9.  
Episode 3 (Dead in the Water).

_Dear Blue Lady,_

_I'm sorry that I haven't given you any gifts since the escape. There just hasn't been any opportunity for me to get you anything. I know I should make excuses, especially after all you have done for me and my brother, and hopeful the others from my unit. I really am sorry. I promise you I will get you a gift soon, I swear!_

_I was hoping that I could ask you to continue looking out for John, wherever he is, as well as all of my brothers and sister that made it out. If you could also protect Sam and Dean, and make sure they don't die from any of the monsters the hunt._

_Thank you for watching over us and protecting us. I will give you a gift soon, promise._

_Ben._

He signs his name at the end of the page and put's the pen down.

Ben regularly prayed and wrote to the Blue Lady, he had too. It was because of her that he and Alec escape, and she helped them meet John and Dean. She has been keeping them safe. Ben loves her, she was wonderful. The Blue Lady was a part of the good world... she was what made the good world, good. She protected people... Or well, the ones who gave her gifts.

He hadn't been able to give her a gift yet, but he would, and the Blue Lady knew he would. He just had to find the perfect gift first, because she deserved the best.

Ben had a bible, but it was kinda of crap because it was wrong. It didn't have the write stories about the Blue Lady. He still kept the bible though, he just scribbles out all the wrong stuff and writes in the real Blue Lady stories.

He also had a small note pad he kept in his bag, that he had took from one of the first motels he and Alec had stayed at when they first met Dean. Ben uses that note book to write down his letters to the Blue Lady. He never sends them of course, because the Blue Lady was all around, so she knew what he was writing.

Looking at the notebook, Ben knows he'll have to get a new one, because this one was almost filled with all of his letters for the Blue Lady.

Ben looks over at his twin, when he hears a groan.

He puts his note book back in his bag. Getting up, he heads to the fridge to get some milk for Alec, it was always good to have a bit after a seizure, or almost seizure.

"Argh" Alec moans, his whole body aching, "De'n... Dean?"

He feels the bed shift next to him. Slowly he opens his eyes, glad that the room was semi dark. Turing his head he sees Ben next to him instead of Dean.

"Where's Dean?" Alec mumbles as he slowly eases himself into a sitting position.

"He and Sam may have got a break in the hunt, they had to check it out" Ben says giving his brother a helping hand to sit, then handing him the milk, "here".

"Thanks" Alec says as he slowly drinks a bit of it, "how long have they been gone?"

Alec hands the milk back to Ben and tries to stretch out a little bit, without causing himself to much pain.

"A few hours, not sure how much longer they'll be".

Alec frowns slightly, he wants Dean.

"What was so important that they had to check out?"

"The girl who drowned, Sophie Carlton, her brother has also drowned now...in a sink".

"...what?"

Ben nods, "Yep, also the kid, Lucas, his dad was the godson of Mr Carlton...Sophie's dad".

"So... whatever this thing is going after people in Mr Carlton's family?"

"Looks like it".

Alec pouts, "...So... it's not Robert or Sally?"

"Nope, sorry".

"I was really looking forward to having pets" he mutters.

Ben rolls his eyes and gets off the bed, he plops himself back onto the other bed. He really wonders about his brother sometimes.

"So, how are you feeling?" Ben asks.

"How'd ya think?" Alec groans back, attempting to stretch out his sore muscles again, "I hate these stupid seizures. I hate Manticore for making us defective. I hate that they could figure out a cure or something for it. I hate that the monster is making Dean not be here right now... I just hate everything!"

Ben sighs, while he agreed with all of those statements... his twin was always one for the dramatic flair.

There are a few moments where the boys are sat in silence, before Alec sighs and mumbles, "thanks for watching me, while I was asleep".

"You do the same for me when I have the shakes" Ben shrugs, "like Dean says, it's what brothers do".

Alec twists his mouth into a small smile, "Yeah... Okay, stupid girly moment over. I'm going to get a bit more sleep".

"Well I wasn't going to say anything...but you do look like you could use some more beauty sleep".

Alec narrows his eyes and sticks out his tongue, "screw you, I'm freakin adorable!"

Before Ben can responded to his brother, they both hear the Impalas rumble in the distance. Alec falls back into the bed and snuggles into the covers.

Rolling his eyes, Ben gets up and unlocks the door ready for them, "You know, if your adorable, then so am I".

"Yeah... but I'm the most adorable-ist of the two of us".

"We're clones... we look exactly alike".

"Yet somehow...I still look cuter then you" Alec grins.

Ben glares at his twin's head, "I don't see how you could look cute with a big head".

Alec lifts his head off the pillow slightly and pokes his tongue out at his brother, before flopping it back down on the pillow and closing his eyes.

Rolling his eyes, Ben's ears perk up as he hears car doors slam shut.

The door opens and Dean walks through first, "We gotta pack up".

"What happened?" Ben asks, sliding off the bed.

"Pretty sure the case is closed, Bill Carlton went and killed himself in the lake so..." Sam says.

"Plus, the sheriff kinda wants us out of town, now" Dean says before pausing, "...why wasn't the door locked?"

"It was. I unlocked it when I heard you come back".

Dean nods and heads to his bed where Alec was 'sleeping'. He smirks to himself, he knew Alec was awake, but he wasn't going to call him out on it. He'd play along.

"So... the case is over?" Ben asks.

Dean shrugs, he wasn't as sure as Sam was.

"Yeah, I mean, it looks like Bill had a part in someone's death years ago, named Peter, and his spirit has been after Bill and his family. With them all dead, Peter would have had his revenge... So, case over".

Ben nods as he zips his bag up, "Why does the sheriff want us gone so fast?"

"Cuz, he may have found out that we aren't really from the Wildlife Service" Dean says, "So it was either get out of town now, or get arrested".

"Oh".

"How's Alec?"

Ben shrugs, "He's fine".

He's fine and faking being asleep so that you'll carry him. Of course, Ben doesn't tell Dean that, it was like an unsaid rule between the twins.

"I'll take the bags, you go give in the key" Dean says to Sam, "Come on Benny".

Ben grabs his bag and follows Dean to the Impala.

Dean shoves his and Sam's duffels into the boot, while Ben puts his bag in the backseat footwell, and climbs in after it. Dean hands Ben the box of cassettes.

"You choose a tape for the road, I'll grab Alec".

Walking back into the room, Dean grabs Alec's bag first, before sweeping Alec up.

Alec grumbles slightly, as he was actually starting to drift back to sleep, but sighs and wraps his arms lazily around Deans neck.

While Dean does a last sweep of the room, Sam slides into the Impala with Ben.

"So, how are you Buddy?"

Ben looks at Sam with a look of confusion. He turns to look next to him, then turns back to Sam.

"Alec's not here..."

"W... I know that. I was asking you".

"...but, I'm not Buddy".

"...what?" Sam turns around fully and gives Ben a questioning look.

"I'm Squirt" Ben says as though that solves everything.

"Huh?"

"My nickname is Squirt. Alec's nickname is Buddy" Ben explains, "I'm the only one who gets called squirt, cuz it's  _my_  name... Just like Alec's the only one who gets called Buddy".

"Uh... okay".

Sam was still completely confused as Dean open's the back door and drops the drowsy Alec down on the seat. Shutting Alec's door, Dean climbs in behind the wheel and starts the engine up.

"Dean, you need to inform Sam of whose name is who's... he called me Buddy" Ben says.

Alec perks his head up, "I'm Buddy!"

"Dude, Alec's Buddy" Dean shakes his head, "Ben is Squirt".

"I didn't realise that they had assigned nicknames" Sam rolls his eyes.

"There not assigned, it's just... Ben is Squirt and Alec is Buddy. It's how it's always been" Dean says, "If I say Squirt both boys know I'm talking to Ben, vise versa for Alec and Buddy".

"Okay... Any other rules or names or whatever, I should be aware of? So, I don't disturb the balance of things".

"Alec is Buddy, Monkey and Slugger. Ben is Squirt, Tiger and Sport. They will both answer to Kitten, Kiddo, Munchkin, Shortcake and Half-pint" Dean says, "As for rules, just the usual kind of rules that kids have, I think".

Sam looks at Dean for a moment... His brother was a different man Well not completely a different man, Dean was always going to be Dean... he had just sort of...grown up a little. Fatherhood had done wonders, and San enjoyed watching his brother be happy.

"Okay" Sam nods.

Dean stops the Impala at the red light.

"So, how you feelin Buddy" Sam looks back at Alec.

Alec nods in acceptance before speaking, "Alright. Little sore I guess, but that's usual. Our super healing is pretty useful and awesome".

"Super healing? So that's another one of your abilities? Sounds like a pretty useful one".

Ben nods, "When you are in a government facility, training as soldiers... super healing  _is_  pretty useful".

"It'll come in handy too, when Dean lets us do more than ghost hunts" Alec digs but Dean, who was thinking, ignores him.

"Alec... I would rush into hunting... You have so many options" Sam says.

"Dude... no I don't".

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Alec" Ben sighs, "We're technically not completely human or normal. Plus, we are being hunted down by a secret government facility. Our lives never have been and never will be normal".

"Might as well put us and our super-ness to good use" Alec shrugs.

Sam sighs to himself, but says no more... He didn't want these boys to have a life on the road like him and Dean did. Granted, it was probably still a better live then being in Manticore...but still. They were kids. They could have futures.

He shakes his head and looks out of the Impala. He frowns slightly. The light was on green...but they weren't moving.

"Green".

"What?" Dean breaks out of his thoughts.

"Light's green".

Dean turns and drives off right. Ben and Alec look at each other and shrug, they had learnt to trust Dean's instincts.

"Uh, the interstate's the other way".

"I know" Dean states.

"Then... why are you going back?"

Dean shakes his head, "Somethings not right".

"I thought you said that the hunt was over?" Ben says.

"I'm not so sure".

"If Bill murdered Peter Sweeney and Peter's spirit got its revenge, case closed. The spirit should be at rest" Sam says.

"All right, so what if we take off and this thing isn't done? You know, what if we've missed something? What if more people get hurt?"

"But why would you think that?"

"Because Lucas was really scared".

"That's what this is about?"

"The kid from the park? The one who saw his dad die?" Alec asks and Sam nods.

"I just don't want to leave this town until I know the kid's okay".

Sam raises an eyebrow and smirks, "Who are you? And what have you done with my brother?... Seriously, since Ben and Alec, you've been like an actually concerned adult".

"Shut up".

Alec smirks, "What can we say... Me and Ben are just a good influence on him".

* * *

 

"Are you sure about this? It's pretty late" Sam says, climbing out of the Impala once Dean pulls up outside of the Barr house.

Dean shrugs as he rings the doorbell.

Lucas runs to the door and opens it, before running back up the stairs, clearly scared of something.

"Lucas? Lucas!" Dean yells and runs after him, with Sam at his heels.

Quickly Ben and Alec jump out of the Impala and follow after the brother. Their shoes splash in the water as they run up the stairs, neither of the boys too keen on water so much. They weren't sure whether it was because of the cat DNA or because of the trauma of being held under water to increase their lung capacity.

They reach the top in time to watch Dean kick down a door, presumably the bathroom door. Without pausing, they boys race after Sam, who runs into the bathroom as Dean holds Lucas. Sam is trying to pull Andrea up and out of the bath, but something was keeping her down.

Ben and Alec quickly stand next to Sam and reach into the bath, ignoring Dean's yells, to grab a hold of Andrea. Both boys pull with Sam, and suddenly Andrea is out of the bath and on the floor coughing, with Sam lying next to her and Ben and Alec breathing heavily, still standing, leaning against the tub.

* * *

 

"Well, this is a ghost hunt... you said we can help with ghost hunts!" Alec stomps his foot, just like an actual child.

He, Ben and Dean were in the Barr's kitchen. Ben was sat silently on a chair, while he was stood in front of the chair Dean had told him to sit on.

"Alec!" It was times like this that he wished the boys had middle names, "Do not yell at me young man".

"But your being annoying!"

"If I was you I would shut up right now, because you are just making the situation a lot worse for yourself mister" Dean glares.

Alec wants to continue yelling, but he had learnt when to shut up, so he did. He sits down, crosses his arms across his chest and pouts at the floor. Two weeks! Two weeks of no privileges for saving the women. The justice system was so unfair!

Dean sighs and tries to calm down. He knew he had to calm down.

He knew that Ben and Alec were just trying to help and they did. It was probably their super strength that got Andrea out... but they could have gotten hurt themselves, and Dean already knew he couldn't cope when his boys were hurt. Sure, two weeks was probably harsh... but they could have been dragged into the bath by Peter's spirit as well as Andrea. They could have freakin died!

"Look, I know that you just wanted to help, and you did... but you need to think before rushing into things-".

"Oh, like you do" Alec sasses before he could stop himself.

"Two weeks extra loss of privileges for you, on top of the original two weeks" Dean points at Alec, "Like I was saying, you need to think before you act. You two could have been hurt or worse... You seem to think that because you are super soldiers, that your invincible! But you're not! You can and will still get hurt and/or die, and you both need to realise that!"

Dean breathes before continuing, "Like I said, I know your intensions were good, I do... Just please think! I don't want you getting hurt".

Ben nods quickly. He hated it when Dean was angry at them. It made him feel sick when he shouted at them, "I'm sorry Dean".

Dean pulls Ben into a relief hug, "okay".

Alec pouts further, but nods anyway. He didn't like Dean so much when he yelled at them... It made him feel bad.

Dean reaches over and pulls Alec into a quick hug also.

"Right, into the living room we go. We got a case to finish" Dean claps.

Alec's faces perk's up, "we're still helping with the case then?"

"Well, it is a ghost so..." Dean sighs, "You've still both lost your privileges, and you had better bloody listen to me. If I say stay, you stay".

The boys nod quickly, happy to still be involved.

"Right, so let's go" Dean herds them out of the kitchen and into the living room, where Sam and Andrea are sat. Sam looks over to the trio as the walk into the room, before turning back to Andrea. Dean starts looking around at the bookshelf.

"It doesn't make any sense" Andrea starts crying, "I'm going crazy".

"No, you're not. Tell me what happened. Everything" Sam says.

"I heard...I thought I heard...there was this voice"

"What did it say?"

"It said...it said, 'come play with me'".

"Cuz that's totally not creepy" Alec mutters and Ben kicks his shin for the comment.

"What's happening?" Andrea sobs.

Dean walks over and puts a book down in front of Andrea. Opening it, he points to the page, "do you recognize the kids in these pictures?"

"What? Um, um, no. I mean, except that's my dad right there. He must have been about twelve in these pictures".

"Chris Barr's drowning. The connection wasn't to Bill Carlton. It must have been to the sheriff" Dean announces.

"Bill  _and_  the sheriff...they were both involved with Peter" Sam says.

"Which is why Andrea was attacked last night by Peter" Ben adds.

"What about Chris? My dad-what are you talking about?" Andrea interrupts.

Alec looks behind him and he sees Lucas staring out of the window.

He tilts his head, like a curious cat, "Lucas? Lucas, what is it?"

Lucas opens the door and walks outside.

"Err, Dean? Lucas is going somewhere" Alec says.

"Lucas, honey?" Andrea says, as everyone follows Lucas outside.

Lucas stops walking and looks at the ground, he then looks up at Dean.

"You and Lucas get back to the house and stay there, okay?" Dean turns to Andrea.

Sam, Dean and the boys walk back to the Impala.

"Alright Kiddos. Let's put your super speed and strength to good use" Dean grins, handing a shovel to the boys.

Walking back to the sight Lucas stopped at, Ben pushes his shovel down, only to for it to clank against something in the ground. Ben frowns and looks up and Sam and Dean. They crouch down and dig with their hands, till they pull up a red bicycle.

"Peter's bike" Sam says.

"The dead kids...So the sheriff  _was_  involved with his death" Ben says.

"Who are you?" all four turn around to see Jake, the sheriff, pointing a gun at than.

The twin's eyes widen, not because of the gun, but because they had been to focussed on the bike, they didn't hear the man sneak up on them...Lydecker would have been extremely disappointed in them.

"Put the gun down, Jake" Sam says calmly, dropping his shovel.

"Ben, Alec. Here. Now" Dean hisses through clenched teeth. All he could see was his boys, out in the open, and a man with a gun.

"Don't move! Anyone" Jake yells "How did you know that was there?"

"What happened?" Dean had to make sure that Jake attention wasn't on his boys, "You and Bill killed Peter, drowned him in the lake and then buried the bike? You can't bury the truth, Jake. Nothing stays buried".

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about".

"You and Bill killed Peter Sweeney thirty-five years ago. That's what the hell I'm talking about".

"Dad!" Andrea runs over to them

"And now you got one seriously pissed-off spirit" Dean shouts.

"It's gonna take Andrea, Lucas, everyone you love. It's gonna drown them. And it's gonna drag their bodies God knows where, so you can feel the same pain Peter's mom felt. And then, after that, it's gonna take you, and it's not gonna stop until it does" Sam finishes.

"Yeah, and how do you know that?" Jake says.

"Because that's exactly what it did to Bill Carlton" Sam answers.

A faint whisper of something floats through the wind, only Ben and Alec being able to hear it. They both look around trying to find the source of the sound, neither one of them sure what the sound or voice had said.

"Listen to yourselves, both of you. You're insane" Jake glares.

Dean glares back, "I don't really give a rat's ass what you think of us. But if we're gonna bring down this spirit, we need to find the remains, salt them, and burn them into dust. Now tell me you buried Peter somewhere. Tell me you didn't just let him go in the lake".

"Come play with me" the faint whisper from before says louder, and Ben and Alec turn to each other.

They lean closer to each other and Alec whispers, "wasn't that what Andrea said the voice from the bathroom had said?"

Ben nods, and both boys turn their heads towards the lake, "Peter's trying to get someone else".

"Dad, is any of this true?" they hear Andrea ask.

"No. Don't listen to them. They're liars and they're dangerous".

Nobody was paying them any attention so Ben and Alec slowly started taking small steps towards the lake.

"Something tried to drown me. Chris died on that lake. Dad, look at me...Tell me you-you didn't kill anyone".

Alec whispers as he and Ben continue to shuffle away from the group, "who is he trying to kill? The sheriff and Andrea are with Dean and Sam".

"Oh my God" they heard Andrea cry.

"Billy and I were at the lake. Peter was the smallest one. We always bullied him, but this time, it got rough. We were holding his head under the water. We didn't mean to. But we held him under too long and he drowned. We let the body go, and it sank...Oh, Andrea, we were kids. We were so scared. It was a mistake. But, Andrea, to say that I have anything to do with these drownings, with Chris, because of some ghost? It's not rational".

"All right, listen to me, all of you. We need to get you away from this lake, as far as we can, right now" Dean says.

Ben and Alec spot Lucas on the dock of the lake and the pause for a second, "he's going after Lucas" Ben says before running towards the lake.

"Lucas don't!" Alec yells, running after his twin.

Dean, Sam, Andrea and Jake turn and see Lucas on the dock, with Ben and Alec running down to the lake.

"Lucas!" Jake yells.

"Ben! Alec!" Dean sprits.

Ben and Alec continue after Lucas, who is bending down trying to grab his toy soldier bobbing in the water.

"Come play with me" Peter whispers.

"Lucas get back" Alec shouts.

"Boys! Lucas!" Dean yells.

"Lucas! Baby, stay where you are!" Andrea cries.

A hand comes up and grabs Lucas, just as Ben reaches him. Both boys go tumbling into the water as Sam and Dean run on to the dock just behind Alec.

"BEN!" Alec yells and starts to jump in but Dean grabs him from behind.

"Stay" Dean says firmly before he and Sam jump into the lake.

"Oh my God!" Andrea screams.

She takes off her jacket.

Sam remerges from the water, "Andrea, stay there"

"No! Lucas!"

"We'll get him! Just stay on the dock!" Sam drives back under.

Andrea sobs and Alec heart pounds horribly hard against his rib cage. Sure, transgenics could go four minutes without water...but...what if Peter ghost hurt him...or he stays under longer than four minutes...

 **...**  
Ben holds on to Lucas as Peters ghost drags them down further. It was cold and dark, and honestly Ben was a little scared, but he wasn't going to let Lucas go. Ben tries pulling Lucas back up, but the damn ghost was strong...till suddenly he was gone.

Not really caring why Peter had disappeared, Ben starts kicking his legs, pulling him and Lucas back up and closer to the surface.

He mental groans as his foot gets caught in something. Ben lets go of Lucas, giving him a push up, hoping the boy was still conscious enough to get himself out of the water. Ben grabs his leg and tries to pull at whatever had caught his foot.

He knew he had to stay calm. The calmer he was the longer he could last without breathing. If he were to start freaking out... he would be screwed.  
**...**

Dean comes up for air and see that Alec was still safely on the dock. Sam comes up for air.

"Sam?"

Sam shakes his head. Dean felt his heart almost start jumping out of his chest. Both of them dive back down.

Jake starts walking into the lake, "Peter, if you can hear me...please, Peter, I'm sorry. I'm so-I'm so sorry".

"Daddy, no!" Andrea screams.

"Peter. Lucas...he's, he's just a little boy. Please, it's not his fault, it's mine. Please take me".

Dean surfaces again, "Jake, no!"

"Just let it be over!" Jake says just before he gets dragged down under the water.

"Daddy! Daddy! No!"

Sam and Dean drive down again, but a moment later Sam comes back up. He shakes his head and dives back down.

Dean comes back up a second later, holding Lucas in his arms. He swims over to the dock and helps Andrea pull her son up on to the dock.

"Where's Ben!" Alec panics.

Dean looks around the lake, before diving back down.

 **...  
** Ben could feel his throat start to close up and his lungs start to burn. He really need to breathe, yet his stupid foot was still stuck. He couldn't get it untangled and he was now starting to panic.

Suddenly he feels arms around him and he freaks slightly, some water rushing into his mouth. The arms pull him up instead of down, but his foot remains stuck.

Whoever was with him lets him go and grabs his stuck foot.

Ben could feel the burning in his lungs increase and spread to his throat.  
**...**

Dean gasps for air once more. He looks around and see's that Ben was still not out of the water.

If he wasn't panicking already, he really was now.

He knew that they could hold their breath for a long time, but holy crap, this was pushing it. It had to be.

"Dean!" he looks at Alec, who was clearly distressed.

Andrea was hugging a shaking Lucas on the dock, and Alec was standing on the edge of the dock, eyes wide and terrified.

Dean took a deep breath, but before he could dive down, he sees Sam, a little bit away from him... and holding Ben!

"Got him" Sam yells and Dean can hear Ben coughing and spluttering in Sam's arms.

Relief washes over him like a shower. Ben was alive.

Sam starts swimming over towards the dock with Ben. The poor child was clinging on to him and shaking. Sam had no idea how Ben didn't drown, but he was thanking every God in the world that the boy was alive.

Dean beats them to the dock and climbs out of the lake. He kneels down at the edge of the dock and grabs Ben as Sam reaches them.

"Benny" Dean sighs, hugging the shivering boy tightly.

Alec immediately joins the hug, a few tears falling in relief that his twin was safe.

Dean huffs a small laugh in relief, "You are in so much trouble".

Ben pulls back slightly, "You didn't tell us to stay. You said that we had to listen to you...but you didn't say stay" he gives Dean a cheeky grin, and for a second Dean thought he was talking to Alec.

Dean closes his eyes and shakes his head, a small smile on his lips.

Pulling Ben back into the hug, he says, "Just...don't do that again".

* * *

 

"Sam, Dean" Andrea says as she and Lucas walk up to them.

"Hey" Dean nods.

"We're glad we caught you. We just, um, we made you lunch for the road" Andrea says, Lucas standing next to her with a tray of sandwiches, "Lucas insisted on making the sandwiches himself".

"Can I give it to them now?" Lucas asks.

"Of course".

"Come on, Lucas, let's load this into the car" Dean leads Lucas to the Impala, where Ben and Alec are both napping after the physically and emotionally long night and morning they had.

"How you are holding up?" Sam asks.

"It's just gonna take a long time to sort through everything, you know?"

"Andrea, I'm sorry" Sam sighs.

"You saved my son. I can't ask for more than that. Dad loved me. He loved Lucas. No matter what he did, I just have to hold on to that".

Dean puts the sandwiches in the Impala and turns back to Lucas, "all right, if you're gonna be talking now, this is a very important phrase, so I want you to repeat it one more time".

"Zeppelin rules!"

"That's right. Up high" Dean gives Lucas a high-five, "You take care of your mom, okay?"

"All right" Lucas nods.

Andrea walks over and kisses Dean, "Thank you".

Dean nods and grins, before walking around the car, "Sam, move your ass. We're gonna run out of daylight before we hit the road".

Sam gives Andrea and Lucas a smile and wave, before climbing into the Impala.

"Now you have girl cooties" Alec says. He had woken up slightly, just in time to watch Dean touch mouths with Andrea.

"Cooties?... You spent your whole life in a government facility...yet you think cooties is a thing?" Dean scrunches his face in confusion as he drives off.

Alec shrugs, "It's what the guys at the park said. You kiss a girl, you get cooties... You better stay away from me, till you're no longer infectious".

Dean laughs and shakes his head. It was really easy sometimes to forget that they weren't like other children with the things they said and did sometimes.

Dean just turns up the music slightly and grins. He and Sam were still alive, as were Ben and Alec. Everything was alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... A bit of Ben and the Blue Lady in this chapter, as well as the end of the episode. I hope that I added Ben and Alec in well enough, and that you guys think they had a good part in the hunt, with it still being realistic-ish.  
> Please kudos, bookmark and/or review.  
> I love reading all your comments and any constructive criticism is welcomed. I want to make the story the best it can be.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	10. Episode 6, Skin (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter... and I have to say, I really like this chapter. I'd actually have to say that it was one of my favourites so far and I can't wait to write the next part of this episode.  
> You get a little bit of protective uncle Sammy.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 10.  
Episode 6 (Skin).

Dean pulls into a gas station and turns off the Impala's engine. Alec and Ben immediately jump out and start running around, trying to release same of their energy and stretch out their muscles.

"Hey! Be careful while you out there. Watch what you're doing" Dean says from inside the Impala.

It had been a few boring weeks since the water thing, and Dean had gone into extra protective mode. Both clones had been surprised that he never wrapped them in bubble wrap or something for the days following the incident, cuz that is something he'd do. They also hadn't stopped anywhere for too long, which had somewhere for them to run off their extra transgenic steam.

After the ghost in the water hunt, the next hunt they came across was a demon. It had been possessing people and making them crash planes... and it turns out that Dean was afraid of flying. Alec and Ben couldn't witness Dean being scared first hand because they hadn't been allowed to come on the plane to help exorcize the demon, they had to wait at the motel.

Then there was the deal with the mirror girl. Alec didn't know or understand this whole deal with the idea of the Bloody Mary chick... Why, if the story behind had it been true, did people go into a bathroom and say her name to a mirror? He really questioned people's sanity sometimes... Anyway, it was technically a ghost hunt, but Dean stuck them on babysitting duties, watching same chick who Mary was after. It was also tense for a while cuz apparently Sam had some big secret that he wasn't telling Dean. Something to do with his girlfriend's death, but that's all the twins could get out of either brother.

During these weeks, Sam was still having nightmares and was working on little sleep. Most nights he was awake and Ben and Alec both guessed that in total, Sam got around three to four hours a day, if that. They could work on that amount of sleep, because that's what was put into their genetic coding... but Sam was human. Both boys knew it was only a matter of time before he crashed and burned.

For now, Alec and Ben just decided to go with the flow, knowing that sooner or later, there will be a shit storm brewing, ready to knock 'em all down.

Dean smiles as he watches the twins, before turning to Sam, "Alright, I figure we'd hit Tucumcari by lunch, then head south, hit Bisbee by midnight," Dean pauses as he realises that his brother was ignoring him, "Sam wears women's underwear".

"I've been listenin', I'm just busy" he say's looking down at his phone.

"Busy doin' what?"

"Reading e-mails".

Dean gets out of the Impala and starts filling her up with gas, "E-mails from who?"

"From my friends at Stanford".

"You're kidding. You still keep in touch with your college buddies?"

"Why not?" Sam shrugs.

"Well, what exactly do you tell 'em? You know, about where you've been, what you've been doin'?"

"I tell 'em I'm on a road trip with my big brother. I tell 'em I needed some time off after Jess".

"Oh, so you lie to 'em".

"No. I just don't tell 'em… everything".

"Yeah, that's called lying. I mean, hey, man, I get it, tellin' the truth is far worse".

"So, what am I supposed to do, just cut everybody out of my life?" Sam asks and Dean shrugs, "You're serious?"

"Look, it sucks, but in a job like this, you can't get close to people, period".

"Your kind of anti-social, you know that?"

"Yeah, whateve-OI!" Dean's attention turns to his clones, "Away from the road, closer to Baby".

Alec rolls his eyes but follows after his brother.

"God…" Sam mutters.

Dean turns back to Sam, "What?"

"This e-mail from this girl, Rebecca Warren, one of those friends of mine-"

"Is she hot?" Dean asks and hears Alec yell yuck, but ignores him.

"I went to school with her, and her brother, Zack. She says Zack's been charged with murder. He's been arrested for killing his girlfriend. Rebecca says he didn't do it, but it sounds like the cops have a pretty good case".

"Uh... I think you need to pick some new friends Sam" Ben says.

Dean scrunches up his face "Dude, what kind of people are you hangin' out with?"

"No, man, I know Zack. He's no killer".

"Tell that to his dead girlfriend..." Alec mutters.

"Well, maybe you know Zack as well as he knows you" Dean says.

"They're in St. Louis. We're going'" Sam decides.

Dean chuckles, "Look, sorry 'bout your buddy, okay? But this does not sound like our kind of problem".

"It is our problem. They're my friends".

"St. Louis is four hundred miles behind us, Sam" Dean looks at his little brother, and the bitch was giving him the puppy-face eyes. Damn it.

"I think we should check it out, for Sam" Ben pipes up.

"Even if it's just to prove him wrong about his friend" Alec shrugs, "better safe than sorry, right?"

He was getting triple teamed. His boys were doing their adorable puppy-face eyes,  _with_  pouts too... Dean knew that once Sam started with the face, that he'd turn the Impala back around and start driving to St Louis, but now with the twins added cuteness... He was wishing that they were already in St Louis for them.

God, he was screwed... Dean just seriously hoped that they boys hadn't realised that he was wrapped around their little paws... He would be well and truly screwed then.

* * *

 

The Impala pulls up and Dean shuts the engine off. Sighing, he gets out of the car with Sam. The twins slide out of the back and wait for Dean to lock up.

"So... even if it's Sam's friend it's a public thing right?" Alec asks.

"Yep, so it's uncle Sam" Dean says, grabbing Alec's hand.

Ben, taking advantage of the public rule, runs after Sam and loops his hand into Sam's giant one. He grins up at the man and Sam gives his tiny hand a small squeeze and smile back.

Sam knocks on the door as Dean and Alec walk up behind.

A young, blonde woman opens the door and smiles when she sees Sam, "Oh my God, Sam!"

"Well, if it isn't little Becky" Sam grins.

"You know what you can do with that little Becky crap" She pulls Sam into a hug.

Alec eyes were wide... almost in horror. He mutters, just loud enough for Ben to hear, "She's perky... too perky".

Ben rolls his eyes but says nothing as Sam speaks to the women, "I got your e-mail".

"I didn't think that you would come here" she says.

Dean steps forward slightly and puts out his hand, "Dean. Older brother".

"Hi" Rebecca shakes his hand.

"And uh, these are my boys. This one is Alec" he puts his hand on Alec, "and that is Ben", he nods to Ben.

Both boys, mostly Alec, put on their acting faces and smile cutely at her and Rebecca can't help but smile at them.

"We're here to help. Whatever we can do" Sam says.

"Come in" she says.

Dean shuts the door behind him, "Nice place".

"It's my parents'. I was just crashing here for the long weekend when everything happened. I decided to take the semester off. I'm gonna stay until Zack's free".

"Where are your folks?" Sam asks.

"They live in Paris for half the year, so they're on their way home now for the trial" they walk into the kitchen, "Do you guys want a beer or something? Some juice for the kids?"

Dean smiles "Hey-"

Sam interrupts him "No thanks for us, but if the boys could have some milk?"

"Yeah, course" Rebecca turns and grabs some glasses, "I bet you boys have some health bones if you drink milk, huh?"

Ben smiles, "Yeah. We're going to be big and strong like dad".

"Here you go" she hands the milk filled drinks over.

"Thank you" both twins say.

Sam turns to Rebecca and speaks again "So, tell us what happened".

Rebecca looks at Ben and Alec hesitantly and Dean notices.

"Hey Kiddo's why don't you go sit in the living room with your drinks, so we can have a talk" Dean suggests and he gives then a knowing look.

"Sure thing dad" Alec says, and he leads Ben out of the kitchen. The living room was very much in their range of hearing.

Rebecca sighs "Well, um, Zack came home, and he found Emily tied to a chair. And she was beaten up and bloody, and she wasn't breathing. So, he called 911, and the police-they showed up, and they arrested him. But, the thing is, the only way that Zack could've killed Emily is if he was in two places at the same time. The police-they have a video. It's from the security tape from across the street. And it shows Zack coming home at 10:30. Now, Emily was killed just after that, but I swear, he was here with me, having a few beers until at least after midnight".

"You know, maybe we could see the crime scene. Zack's house" Sam suggests.

"We could" Dean says, giving Sam a look.

"Why? I mean, what could you do?" she asks.

"Well, me, not much. But Dean's a cop" Sam nods.

Dean laughs "Detective, actually".

"Really? Where?"

"Bisbee, Arizona. But I'm off-duty now" Dean shrugs.

"You guys, it's so nice to offer, but I just-I don't know" she shakes her head.

"Bec, look, I know Zack didn't do this. Now, we have to find a way to prove that he's innocent".

"Okay. I'm gonna go get the keys" Rebecca walks out of the room.

"Oh, yeah, man, you're a real straight shooter with your friends" Dean bitch faces his brother.

"Look, Zack and Becky need our help".

"I just don't think this is our kind of problem".

Sam raises an eyebrow "Two places at once? We've looked into less".

Dean sighs, but says nothing. He knew he was defeated.

* * *

 

Ben and Alec had spent most of the day in the car, while the bigger pair of brothers worked on the case. Once they had gotten to a motel, Dean and Sam explain what they had found. A barking dog and a weird camera flare.

Alec was with Dean on the whole thing. It all looked like a load of crap and Sam needed better choice in friends.

Ben however, agreed with Sam... or at least thought that they should at least dig into a little more.

Which is why they were up at 5:30 in the morning at Zack's house, either boy sitting each side of Dean on the Impalas hood. Because Sam couldn't sleep, so no one else could either, which meant they had to focus on the case that may or may not be an actually case.

"Alright, so what are we doin' here at 5:30 in the morning?" Dean sighs.

"I realized something. The videotape shows the killer goin' in, but not comin' out" Sam says.

"So, he came out the back door?" Alec interjects.

Sam nods "Right. So, there should be a trail to follow. A trail the police would never pursue".

"Cause, they think the killer never left. And they caught your friend Zack inside" Ben concludes.

"I still don't know what we're doin' here at 5:30 in the morning" Dean says.

Sam looks around and notices blood smeared on a nearby telephone pole, "Blood. Somebody came this way".

"Yeah, but the trail ends. I don't see anything over here".

Before Sam can say anything, an ambulance drives past them. The elder two Winchesters share a look.

"Uh oh..." Alec mutters.

* * *

 

The four Winchesters watch the scene. A man, who was hand cuffed, was being put into the back of a cop car.

Dean turns to a women "What happened?"

"Who got wacked this time?" Alec asks, earning him a smack on the head from Dean and a kick in the shins from Ben, "Geez, tough crowd".

"He tried to kill his wife. Tied her up and beat her" the women says.

"Really?" Sam asks.

The women nods" I used to see him going to work in the morning. He'd wave, say hello. He seemed like such a nice guy".

* * *

 

Sam, Ben and Alec are looking around outside of the house. Trying to find anything, but come up short. Sighing Sam nods his head, and the boys follow him around to the front of the house.

Dean walks up to the trio "Hey. Remember when I said this wasn't our kind of problem?"

"Yeah" Sam nods.

"Definitely our kind of problem".

"Why?" Ben asks.

"Well, I just talked to the patrolman who was first on the scene, heard this guy, Alex's story. Apparently, the dude was driving home from a business trip when his wife was attacked".

"So, he was two places at once" Sam says.

"Exactly. Then he sees himself in the house, police think he's a nutjob".

"Well, it's always best to plead insanity... Better sentencing" Alec shrugs.

Sam looks at Alec for a moment before turning back to Dean "Two dark doubles attacking loved ones in exactly the same way".

"Could be the same thing doin' it, too" Dean suggests.

"Coincidences don't happen like this" Ben states.

Sam nods and pauses to think, "Shapeshifter? Something that can make itself look like anyone?"

Dean shrugs "Every culture in the world has a shapeshifter lore. You know, legends of creatures who can transform themselves into animals or other men".

"Right, skinwalkers, werewolves".

"We've got two attacks within blocks of each other. I'm guessin' we've got a shapeshifter prowlin' the neighbourhood".

"Can shapeshifters fly?" Alec asks.

"Not that I know of" Dean answers.

"Then how is this dick getting away?" Alec sighs in annoyance.

Dean points at Alec and gives him the look, "Watch the mouth".

Sam picks up from Alec "I picked up a trail here. Someone ran out the back of this building and headed off this way".

"Just like at Zack's house" Ben says.

"Yeah. And, just like at Zack's house, the trail suddenly ends. I mean, whatever it is just disappeared" Sam says.

Dean licks his lips "Well, there's another way to go...down".

They all look down and see a manhole cover.

Alec grins, "awesome".

"Awesome?" Sam asks with an amused smirk on his lips, "You  _want_ to go into the sewers?"

"Hell yeah! People flush baby alligators down there and they turn into giant ones! We may be able to find one and I can keep him as a pet. If it's a boy I'll call him Robert and for a girl, Sally".

Ben rolls his eyes, "I thought that was going to be the giant fish monster demons?"

"Well, since they aren't real, I'll settle for a giant alligator" Alec shrugs.

Dean ruffles his hair, "Sorry Buddy, but I'm not having an alligator in my Baby".

Alec pouts.

Ben looks at his twin, "Why are you so obsessed with having giant, deadly pets?"

Dean smirks "You just said the two good reasons why Alec who want giant, deadly pets...'giant' and 'deadly'".

* * *

 

Dean and Sam had a look in the sewers while Ben and Alec had waited by the manhole. A little while later they came back up to retrieve some weapons.

"Well, one thing I learned from Dad, is that no matter what kind of shapeshifter it is, there's one sure way to kill it" Dean says.

"Silver bullet to the heart" Ben and Alec, both a little annoyed that Dean wasn't going to let them join the hunt.

"That's right" Dean says, as Sam's phone rings.

"This is Sam... We're near Zack's, we're just checkin' some things out...What are you talkin' about?...Why would you do that?...Bec-...We're tryin' to help...Bec, I'm sorry, but-".

Sam closes his phone and sighs.

Dean walks over to Sam "I hate to say it, but that's exactly what I'm talkin' about. You lie to your friends because if they knew the real you, they'd be freaked. It's just-it'd be easier if-".

"If I was like you".

Hey, man, like it or not, we are not like other people. But I'll tell you one thing. This whole gig...it ain't without perks" Dean says as he passes a gun to Sam, then he turns to the boys "stay in the car and behave".

* * *

 

Ben and Alec sit in the cold, dark car for roughly forty minutes, before they hear Sam's voice. They look out and see Sam and Dean walking up to the car, so both boys climb out of the Impala.

"Took ya long enough" Alec grumbles, "I'm hungry".

Ben shakes his head at his brother, "did you get it?"

Sam sighs "No, it got away".

Both clones freeze up slightly when they smell something unusual. It was coming from Dean... He smelled like Dean...but something was off with his scent. They share a look and agree to stay close to Sam for the moment, so the subtly stand themselves closer to Sam. Neither men seem to notice.

"You think he found another way underground?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, probably. You got the keys?" Dean says.

Sam pauses for a second "Hey, didn't Dad once face a shapeshifter in San Antonio?"

"Oh, that was Austin. It turned out not to be a shapeshifter, it was a thought form. A psychic projection, remember?"

"Oh, right. Here ya go" Sam nods and throws the keys at Dean.

Sam sees that  _Dean_  catches the keys with his hurt arm... or the arm that should be hurt, if the man standing with him was actually his brother. As the possible shapeshifter opens the Impalas trunk, Sam pulls Ben's arm, till the boy is behind him and does the same to Alec, then he points his gun at the thing wearing Dean's face.

Like hell was he going to let the boys get hurt. He'd never forgive himself, and they were his brother happiness... and since Jess...they had put a smile on his face too.

"Don't move!" Sam's voice makes the shapeshifter turn around "What have you done with him?"

"Dude, chill. It's me, all right?" the fake Dean says.

"No, I don't think so. Where's my brother?"

"You're about to shoot him. Sam, calm down... You're freaking Ben and Alec out".

"Don't look at them" Sam glares "You caught those keys with your left. Your shoulder was hurt".

"Yeah, it's better. What do you want me to do, cry?" the shapeshifter sighs, "Benny, Al... Kittens, come on. It's me".

Both boys just hiss at him from their place behind Sam. In all honestly, if they were one hundred per cent sure this wasn't Dean, they would attack... but they had some doubts...

"I said  _don't_ look at them. Don't talk to them either, leave them out of it" Sam spits.

"Sam-".

"You're not my brother".

"Why don't you pull the trigger, then? Hm? 'Cause you're not sure. Dude, you know me".

"Don't" Sam shakes his head.

The shifter pauses before he grabs a crow bar and whacks it into Sam's face twice.

Once Sam goes down, Ben and Alec pause before jumping for the shifter, taking him down. Alec growls and sends a punch into its face, before he gets sent flying as the fake Dean kicks him off. Ben gets wild eyes, as he barrels into the shifter before he could stand up again. He also sends a couple of punches into the things face and neck. Ben uses his nails as he punches, causing cuts to start to appear. Ben also place a well-aimed knee to the groin, as well as the ribs. Something cracked inside the shifter, Ben wasn't sure whether it was a rib or it's pelvic that broke.

The shifter grunts and pushes the clone off of him. He knew all about the genetic freaks from Dean's mind, but he didn't realise  _just_  how hard they could hit. If he was actually human, the first punch from Alec, would have killed him.

He smirks, unlucky for the clones, he wasn't human.

He grabs the crow bar and hits it hard at the boy next to him, Ben, and he sees the boy go limp.

The shifter pulls himself up and see's the other boy run at him. He goes to swing at the kid, but before the crow bar could make contact with the boy's head, Alec had grabbed it and disarmed him.

Alec throws a kick, sending the shifter slamming into the Impala, Alec winces for a second, cuz he knows that Dean will be pissed that his baby was hurt. However, during that second, Alec let his guard enough down and the shifter grabs his head and slams into the car. He falls to the ground, barely conscious, a couple of feet away from the non-moving Ben. The shifter crashes his boot down into Alec's face, and the world goes dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there you go. It wasn't as long as the last chapter, but I hope you guys (my wonderful readers, who I love) liked it anyway. This is going to be a 2-chapter episode.  
> I hope you liked the small glance of protective uncle Sammy, cuz I did.  
> Let me know your thoughts.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	11. Skin (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologise in advance...you may want to hunt me down after this chapter.  
> I may put Dean, Ben and Alec through some emotional stuff that...uh... well, let's just say, it'll take longer than one chapter to fix. Blame it on Shifter!Dean.  
> Please try and enjoy :) ...and please don't kill me.

Chapter 11.  
Episode 6 (Skin).

Sam hears before he sees. He can hear the sounds of someone struggling and kicking at the floor. He hears groans and growls and hisses...then a smack.

"Get your hands off my brother you Jerk off!" he hears a young voice growl with so much venom, it makes Sam freeze in shock.

...till he realises that the voice was one of the boys, so the person getting hit was the other.

Sam opens his eyes and sees that he's in a dingy, dusty room. His hands tied behind some wooden post behind his back.

He turns and see's Dean...or well the shapeshifter as Dean, kneel next to one of the boys, who was also tied to a post, across the other side of the room. The other boy was tied up opposite from his brother. He was wearing a blue jumper, so Sam knew that was Ben...So it was Alec that got hit.

...then again that's not very surprising with his smart mouth.

Still, Sam saw red, "Get your hands off him!"

The shifter turns to Sam, gets up and makes his way over to him. Sam glares him down, till his face gets backhanded. Sam winces and groans, while both clones hiss and growl like pissed off cats.

"Where is he? Where's Dean?" Sam asks.

"I wouldn't worry about him. I'd worry about you".

"Screw you, you piece off crap!" Alec yells.

"Man... you boys have filthy mouths" the shifter smirks, "I should really wash your mouths out with soap".

"Where is he?" Sam interrupts, trying to keep the shifters attention away from the boys.

"You don't really wanna know" the shifter chuckles "I swear, the more I learn about you and your family...I thought I came from a bad background".

"What do you mean, learn?"

Before the shifter can answer, he grabs his head in pain and grimaces. After a moment, the shifter relaxes and looks at Sam.

"He's sure got issues with you. You got to go to college. He had to stay home... I mean, I had to stay home. With Dad. You don't think I had dreams of my own? But Dad needed me. Where the hell were you?"

"Where is my brother?"

"I am your brother. See, deep down, I'm just jealous. You got friends. You could have a life. Me? I know I'm a freak. And sooner or later, everybody's gonna leave me".

"What are you talkin' about?"

"You left. Hell, I did everything Dad asked me to, and he ditched me, too. No explanation, nothin', just poof. Left me with your sorry ass" the shifter turns his head to the boys "And where to start with the terrible two?... You just show up, out of nowhere, and Dad tells me that you're my responsibility... I mean, come on! I had to grow up looking after and being responsible for my brother, then the ungrateful git leaves me to be Mr College and yet I'm still stuck looking after little shits, who do nothing but argue and cause more trouble then they're worth".

Ben stops struggling with his ties and just listens to what the shifter says. Tears start to pool in his eyes... Dean hates looking after them?... He hates them?

"And that's not even touching how fucked up you both are in your heads...I mean, damn. You are some messed up little freaks" the shifter walks closer to the twins.

Alec narrows his eyes and he continues to release growls from his throat. This wasn't Dean, it wasn't. The stuff it was saying was crap... It had to be...it had to be...

The shifter turns to Ben, "I got one clone that cries like a baby at the littlest of things...God, and you're supposed to be a soldier? And then there's your whole issue of always trying to be perfect...yet you never are-".

"Shut up! Leave him alone" Sam shouts.

"And then we have the other one" the shifter ignores Sam, and turns to Alec, "The clone that causes trouble left, right and centre. I just can't get a break cuz he's always doing something bad. I'm surprised I haven't gone grey yet".

Alec's starts to tremble, but other than that he keeps his glare on the monster.

"I swear-" Sam snarls.

"You swear what Sammy?" the shifter turns back to him "Dad left me and now I'm stuck looking after you three" he huffs and smirks, "But, still, this life? It's not without its perks... I meet the nicest people. Like little Becky... You know, Dean would bang her if he had the chance. Let's see what happens.

The shifter smiles and leaves.

Both, Ben and Alec had given up on their ropes and were just sat quietly with their heads down.

"He was just trying to get into your heads" Sam says once he knew the shifter was gone. He knew that the words that fake Dean had said would have hit both boys hard, "He said horrible things to make you doubt everything, but that wasn't Dean... Okay, he may have thought those things about you when he first met you both, but I promise you both, Dean adores and loves you so much now. I haven't seen him as happy as he is with you two, in a long while. The shifter never told you how much Dean loves you".

"S'okay Sam" Alec mumbles, "It doesn't matter".

"No Alec, it does...He really loves you, you're his boys. He doesn't think that you're bad, he thinks your freakin adorable. It doesn't matter that you cause a bit of trouble, it's part of being a kid, and Dean loves that you're being a kid" Sam sighs, he was going to murder that shifter, "and Ben...Dean doesn't care that you're sensitive. He loves giving hugs to make you feel better and is happy that you're not emotional stunted like him... And you should know that Dean doesn't want you to be perfect".

Ben just shrugs. He felt numb and hot and sick... he just wanted to go back in time and not let Sam convince Dean to come to this stupid town, or maybe back to before he met Dean and John so that they would have to deal with him and Alec.

Sam was pissed. He could see that both boys had lost some of their spirit, all because of the shit the shifter said...

Sure, at first Sam was positive that his brother may have thought and felt the way the shifter said. That the boys were more of a bother than anything else.

But he knew that for a long time now, most likely months, that Dean had grew to love those boys, more than pie or the Impala. But now... that shifter may have just ruined his brother's relationship with his boys.

Sam struggles with his ropes, but can't get them off. He could see that Ben and Alec had given up and were just sat still now.

"Damn it" Sam groans, then he pauses as he hears movement and coughing.

"That better be you, Sam, and not that freak of nature" Dean's voice appears and, Ben and Alec's heads perk up slightly.

"Yeah, it's me" Sam sighs in relief, "He went to Rebecca's, lookin' like you".

"Well, he's not stupid. He picked the handsome one" Dean smirks but then freezes, "Where are Ben and Alec? What'd that dick do to them?"

"There here" Sam says, "They're just a little... banged up".

"That son of a bitch!" Dean growls, "Buddy, Squirt... talk to me. Are you ok?"

"We're fine Dean" Alec mumbles.

Dean could hear that something wasn't right. This was Alec... he was supposed to say something smart and funny... not sound so... so sad. Dean clenched his teeth and everything started turning red. That fucker had done something to his boys.

"Budd-"

"Sorry we let the monster get the jump on us" Ben says in a quiet voice, "It won't happen again Sir".

Dean felt his heart stop for a second.  _Sir?_...  _SIR!_  Ben hadn't called him that in months. It had taken him a good two to three months to get the boy to just call him Dean instead of Sir...

All his hard work with both his kids... gone...

He was going to tear this fucker in to tiny pieces with his bare hands.

"Benny...Squirt... You know I don't care about that. I just care that you're safe and unharmed" Dean sighs, but gets no response from his Benny.

Dean looks over to where Sam is and he sees Sam give a sad look. Obviously, Sam knew what was going on with his boys.

Sam sighs "Yeah, that's the thing. He didn't just look like you, he was you. Or he was becoming you".

"What do you mean?" Dean gets out of his ropes and heads for the closest twin, who happened to be Alec. He feels rage build inside of him when he sees the bruise on the right side of Alec's forehead, dried blood all around his nose and a bruise on his left cheek, "Oh Buddy...".

Alec says nothing as Dean unties him, but Sam answers Dean's question "I don't know, it was like he was downloading your thoughts and memories".

"You mean, like the Vulcan mind meld?" Dean moves on to Ben and didn't think he could feel more pissed, till he sees Benny's face. The bruise on the side of Ben's forehead was almost twice the size of Alec's, and had dried blood running from a gash in the middle of the bruise.

"Yeah, somethin' like that. I mean, maybe that's why he doesn't just kill us".

"Maybe he needs to keep us alive. Psychic connection" Dean says as he starts to untie Sam's ropes. His clones just standing where they had been sat, like broken toys.

Sam gets up once he was free of rope "Yeah. Come on, we gotta go. He's probably at Rebecca's already".

Dean nods, he walks over to the twins. He wanted to hold them and not let go, but they had a person to save first... Then he could hold them and never let go. Dean grabs each boy's hands and follows Sam. He made a metal note to ask Sam what happen to make his boys act like zombies.

* * *

 

The four Winchesters walk around the side of Rebecca house. They had gotten out of the sewers and Sam had called the cops on 'Dean', so that hopefully the shifter hadn't killed Rebecca. Which looks like it had worked as the was now on APB out on Dean. They just had to grab some weapons, so they could kill the asshole and skip town.

Luckily, they see the Impala parked up.

"Oh, there she is! Finally, something went right tonight." Dean sighs, till a cop car appears "Oh crap!...This way, this way", the group move towards the fence.

"You go. I'll hold 'em off. Take the boys with you" Sam says.

Neither child had spoken a word yet. They were just following the older men around.

"What are you talking about? They'll catch you" Dean hadn't let go of either boy's hand yet.

"Look, they can't hold me. Just go, keep out of sight. Meet me at Rebecca's" Dean sighs, but nods for the boys to climb the fence, "Dean" Dean pauses as he climbs the fence, "Stay out of the sewers alone...! mean it!"

"Yeah, yeah" Dean yells from over the fence.

Dean re-grabs the boy's hands and they jog away from the scene. They stop around a corner and wait for the cops to go.

He looks down at Ben and Alec... both hand these blank, sad faces on and their eyes... God! They looked so... Dean sighs and he kneels down in front of them, pulling both into a tight hug.

They don't even hug him back.

"Hey... Kittens..." Dean sighs, pulling back to look at them, "Tell me what is going on... and no lies. Please...".

Alec shrugs and looks away, while Ben looks to the ground.

Everything Dean had done with them to get them just to where they had been mentally...was all gone. They were back to the boys he had first met. Guarded, quiet and scared.

That shapeshifting son of a bitch was dead.

"Come on Kiddo's...You're killin' me" Dean felt hopeless.

"...do..." Ben starts but stops himself, shaking his head.

"Do? Do, what Benny?" Dean says gently.

Alec turns back with a hard look that makes Dean's heart hurt, "If you didn't want us, you could have just let us leave when we first met. You didn't have to string us along".

His voice was as hard as the look he was giving Dean.

"Buddy... I don't know what that Dick told you... but whatever it was, it wasn't true. I haven't been stringing you along, either of you. I like having you guys with me" Dean gives them a small smile, "I mean come on... how could I not want two little me's! I'm awesome".

Ben lifts up his head and Dean sees tears falling down his face, "I try to be perfect. I'm sorry I'm not!... I'm a bad soldier".

"No!" Dean says firmly, "You not a bad soldier Benny...You're good, more than good. Both of you guys are. Besides...why would I want you to be perfect? Perfect is boring and unsurprising. Being unperfected is being a Winchester".

Ben let's out a sob and wraps his arms around Dean. This was Dean, his Dean. There were no other smells to him, but his normal Dean smell... But still the things the shifter said...

Alec stays standing firm with a hard glare... but Dean could see the water pooling in his eyes.

Dean hugs Ben tightly as he cries, and he looks over at Alec, "Remember the talk Buddy...You're stuck with me, no matter what you do... You're not bad, you're perfectly unperfect".

Alec stays where he is, and Dean is seriously wondering if he's lost him.

"Al... Come on. You're my Buddy..."

"The cops have left" are the only word that come out of Alec's mouth and Dean honestly felt like crying. He was a grown ass man... and he felt his throat burn and his eyes hurt at Alec's words...or the words he didn't say.

"Al..." but Alec's already walking away towards the Impala without another word.

Dean closes his eyes and sighs, Ben was still crying in his shoulder and Alec didn't want to be near him. Dean picks Ben up and the kid latches on to him.

He actually thought that he was getting the hang of this whole parenting thing... but all he was doing was fucking up.

Dean walks over to the Impala, with Ben in his arms. Alec quietly stands to the side, while Dean opens the trunk and pulls out some stuff.

"I'm sorry, Sam. But you know me...I just can't wait" Dean mumbles as he closes the trunk. He walks away with Alec walking behind him. He wasn't leaving them again.

He kneels next to a manhole cover, "Squirt... I... I need to let you go so I can open this. Okay".

Ben let's go of Dean, and shuffles away from him to give him room, tears still streaming down his face. Dean pulls the cover off and pushes it to the side.

He pauses and looks at Alec and tries one more time to get Alec to crack, "I wonder I you'll find an alligator down here?"

Alec shrugs and climbs down, into the sewer, leaving Dean heartbroken.

"Right... Let's go then Benny" Dean says, and he indicates for Ben to go first.

* * *

 

Dean, with Ben in his arms again and Alec following quietly behind, walk around the sewer. Looking around. He was seriously missing the sound of Alec smart ass voice. The trio come across a room filled with candles and chains... all Dean could think was that if Alec was okay, he would have been making some comments about this room.

There was piles of blood and skin around on the floor, which had both Ben and Alec turning their noses up. They all turn towards another area when they hear a noise. They see something big under a sheet. Dean puts Ben down and motions for the boys to stay back.

Dean pulls of the sheet and they see Rebecca, hands and feet bound and a gag in her mouth.

"Rebecca?" Dean pauses for a moment before getting into action and untying her, "What happened?"

Rebecca cries "I was walking home, and everything just went white. Someone hit me over the head, and I wound up here just in time to see that thing turn into me. I don't know, how is that even possible?"

"Okay, okay. It's okay" Dean tries to calm her down some, "Come on. Can you walk?... Okay, we've gotta hurry. Sam went to see you".

Alec and Ben's eyes widen in realisation and then run off into the sewers.

"BEN! ALEC!" Dean yells and slowly follows them, holding on to Rebecca as he goes.

* * *

 

Ben and Alec shoot up and out of the sewer, and run to Rebecca's house. Barrelling through the door, almost taking it off its hinges, they see Sam on the floor on top of some broken wood, with books on top of him and the shifter, dressed as Dean again, standing over him.

The shifter turns towards the source of the intrusion and rolls his eyes at the sight of the two boys.

Although...both of them didn't look like children at the minute. They looked wild and feral, snarling at the shifter.

The shifter grabs a pool stick and swings it at Ben, who ran for him first. Ben easily dodges the stick and leaps onto the pool table. The shifter swings again and Ben jumps over it. Alec comes up behind the shifter and crashes into him, sending them both onto the pool table. Ben grabs the pool stick and throws it away, while Alec straddles the shifter and starts punching with a force that makes Sam wonder how there wasn't a hole in the table.

The shifter manages to hit a punch at Alec, making him roll off the table from the force of it. However, Alec only gets replaced with Ben. He wasn't hitting as hard as Alec was, so the shifter quickly throws the kid off and into Sam, who had gotten up to, knocking them both to the ground again.

Alec gets up at the same time as the shifter gets off the pool table. A complete animalistic growl passes through his lips, as he charges at top speed towards the shifter again. They fall on to a coffee table, that breaks as the land on it. Alec starts slamming his fist back into the shifters face. He has fury in his eyes, and tears on his cheeks trailing down to his chin and dripping off. All he could think off was those words the monster with Dean's face had said earlier... _"Stuck looking after you little shits"..."Cause trouble"..."Always doing something bad"..._  He wasn't bad!

Sam watches with wide, horrified eyes... Alec had freakin lost it.

Alec starts choking on his sobs and his punches become weaker and tired. The shifter takes advantage of Alec’s emotional breakdown and kicks the child off, sending him into Ben.

Sam quickly throws a punch at the shifters already messed up face, only to get one in return. The shifter grabs Sam's neck and starts tightening his hold, choking him.

"Hey!" Dean runs into the room, and the shifter stands.

Dean actually blanches for a moment at the sight of the shifters bloody face, before he lifts his gun and puts two silver bullets into the shifters heart.

The shifter fall to the floor dead as Rebecca runs in and to Sam. Dean look over the room and sees Ben standing, staring at the dead shifter with wide eyes. Dean is sure that it wasn't good for an already emotionally distraught child to see his dead body, monster or not.

Then his eyes lower to Alec, who was curled up, into a ball, also staring at the body with his eyes red and cheeks wet. It looks like the kid was having a full-on panic attack.

Alec felt like he was in a small bubble that was getting smaller. Everything was blurry and he couldn't hear things like he should be able to... Oh God! He had attacked Dean...it wasn't Dean, but it looked like Dean... he was going to kill it...kill Dean...Dean had called him bad... The bubble was getting smaller still. It was so hot...he felt hot...he could see black dots...

Dean's next to the boys in a flash, turning Ben around and away from the body. He then pulls Alec up and into his lap. Dean notices that his knuckles are covered in blood, but what he notices more was that the child wasn't breathing.

"Buddy breathe!" Dean was freaking and he was sure his voice showed that. He shakes Alec, trying to snap the boy out of it, "Breathe. Alec, Buddy please just breathe...SAM! He's not breathing".

Sam is next to his brother and starts rubbing Alec's back, "Al... come on Buddy. You need to breathe now, okay? You need to just take a deep breathe in and then a deep breathe out".

Alec was staring into space at something behind the brothers...everything that was being said sounded far away, he could make any of it out. The bubble was so tight now and he felt like he was on fire...

"Alec Winchester! Breath, now!" Dean yells not realising what he had said, giving him another firm shake, though it seems like it does the trick.

Alec takes a sudden breath in and starts to cough...the bubble had burst.

Dean sighs in relief and hugs the boy, rubbing his back and whispering calming and soothing words. Dean pulls Ben into the hug.

An arm wrapped tight around each boy and a hand cupping the back of their heads, keeping them close. Dean plants a kiss on the side of Ben's head, and the on Alec's.

* * *

 

The twins were fast asleep in the back seat. Both had fallen asleep in Dean's arms, soon after the shifter's death. They were both completely worn out, physically and especially emotionally. Once Dean and Sam had put the boys into the Impala, Dean drove to the motel while Sam helped Rebecca deal with the cops. After packing and putting their stuff into the trunk and handing in the key, Dean spent some time, with his sleeping boys, dealing with their injuries.

Ben had woken up when Dean was looking at his head wound, but went back to sleep quick when Dean told him to. Alec was out like a light during everything.

He wasn't stupid to think that everything was going to be okay now... Well, Dean could hope... but that shifter had done something to Ben and Alec, had messed with their heads really good.

He wanted that fucker to be alive again, just so he really could kill him with his bare hands.

Now he was back in front of Rebecca's house, waiting for Sam to finish saying goodbye, so that they good leaving this town for good. Sighing, Dean turns to watch his sleeping kittens. Ben was leaning with his back against the door, head on his pillow, and legs out straight on the seat bench. His blanket was mostly hanging on the floor. Alec was curled up into a tight ball, his face mushed in his pillow and his blanket wrapped tightly around himself. His eyes were still puffy from the crying.

Dean looks back around when the passenger door opens and Sam slides in.

"So, what about your friend, Zack?" Dean asks.

"Cops are blamin' this Dean Winchester guy for Emily's murder. They found the murder weapon in the guy's lair, Zack's clothes stained with her blood. Now they're thinking maybe the surveillance tape was tampered with" Sam says, "Yeah, Becca says Zack will be released soon".

Dean goes to start then engine back pulls his hand back.

Sam looks at Dean, "Dean?"

"What did he do to them when he was me?"

Sam sighs "...Dean...".

Dean's voice gets tight, "I need to know Sam. Okay? I need to know why Ben thought I didn't want him cuz he wasn't perfect and why Alec wouldn't even look at me. I need to know why Ben was crying and clinging on to me like he's never done before. I need to know why Alec had a fucking breakdown and almost passed out from not breathing!"

"Remember how I said that the shifter was, like becoming you not just in looks but in mind too?"

Dean nods.

"Well uh... He said some stuff to them".

"What did he say?"

"Dean-".

"What did he say!"

"He told Ben that he wasn't perfect and that essentially he was weak cuz he cries. He told Alec that he was always causing trouble and that it was getting annoying. He told them both that you felt like it was a chore to look after them and that you hated it... basically hated them".

Dean puts his face in his hands.

"I tried to tell them that it was all crap... but... it clearly still got to them" Sam says, "I'm sorry, man".

Dean slams his hands on the steering wheel, "That son of a..." Dean sighs, "You have no idea how long it took to get the boys to how they were when you met them... Months. Freakin months... and now, we're right back at the fucking beginning again. Hell, we're further away than when I first met them actually...".

Sam didn't know what to say... all he could see was his brother losing the light in his eyes that Ben and Alec had put there.

Dean sighs, starts the engine and drives off.

"You haven't failed them-"

Dean cuts Sam off "Really? They both think that they are shit and worthless and that I don't give a shit about them... Sure I haven't failed them... I mean, I didn't have to see Alec give shifter-me a beat down to know just how much anger Alec put in his punches, cuz I saw the things face and Alec's knuckles".

"The shifter... not you".

Dean just shakes his head and Sam decides to just let him be for a while, cuz he could see Dean was done talking and he could practically see his brothers defence going back up.

Ten minutes later, Dean opens his mouth "Sorry, man".

"About what?"

"I really wish things could be different, you know? I wish you could just be... Joe College".

"No, that's okay. You know, the truth is, even at Stanford, deep down, I never really fit in".

"Well, that's 'cause you're a freak".

"Yeah, thanks" Sam roll his eyes, his brother was back to being emotionally repressed and using humour as a way to guard himself... He wishes he could go back and kill the shifter all over again.

"Well, I'm a freak, too. I'm right there with ya, all the way".

"Yeah, I know you are".

You know, I gotta say...I'm sorry I'm gonna miss it".

"Miss what?"

Dean smirks "How many chances am I gonna have to see my own funeral?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I would like to apologise for breaking Alec... but their ride couldn't always be smooth, they had been treated like nothing more the experiments their whole lives...their going to have major issues that's going to take years to fix, not just months.
> 
> But, yeah... poor Alec and Ben... and Dean too.
> 
> I'm sorry...please still kudos and comment on my story.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	12. Episode 8, Bugs (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to do a little time line for you guys.
> 
> The first episode takes place at the start of November. The boys had been with Dean and John since early June (Around 6 months). This is how the timeline roughly goes:  
> -Month 1 (June/July) was Dean and John learning about the boys (the whole clone thing) and just them all getting a bit used to each other.  
> -Month 2 (July/August) was Alec and Ben being told the Supernatural was real, and Alec feeling more relaxed and coming out of his shell.  
> -Month 3 (August/September) was Ben feeling comfortable with calling Dean and John by their names instead of 'Sir', and the boys going on their first hunt.  
> -Month 4 (September/October) was Ben and Alec having their big fight and Dean sorting them out.  
> -Month 5 (October) was them just sort of being together and doing hunt's, till John decides to go missing.  
> -Month 6 (November) was the boys meeting Sam.
> 
> So that's kind of what's been happening. It's only a rough idea, but it just gives you guys an idea of it.
> 
> Anyway...  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 12.  
Episode 8 (Bugs).

_... ... ...Alec is standing in a shopping aisle alone. He was here with Ben, Dean and John, but he had wondered off a few minutes ago while the other were busy getting crap. He looks up and down the aisle, before grinning and picking up a small ball filled with glitter. He goes to put it in his pocket, when Dean appears in the aisle._

_The clone freezes for a moment before turning his 'caught red handed' face into his 'I'm not doing anything' face. Dean raises an eyebrow and gives the child an unimpressed look._

_"You know, you might have been able to pull of that 'I'm innocent' look, if you weren't holding a snow globe half in your pocket" Dean says._

_"I was just looking"._

_Dean nods, "Oh, okay then" and steps back out of the aisle._

_Alec shrugs and goes back to putting the snow globe in his pocket._

_"Alec!" Dean hisses and he steps back into the aisle and looks at the child with a 'are you serious' face, "Really? You think I believed that? You think I'm that stupid?"_

_"If I answer that honestly, I'll lose my telly privileges" Alec says._

_Dean bitch faces him and Alec gives him a cheeky grin, that makes it hard for Dean to be mad. Dean sighs, he points to Alec and then at the ground by his feet, indicating for Alec to come to him._

_Alec pouts, but puts back the snow globe and drags his feet on the floor as he makes his way over to Dean._

_Once he's standing in front of him, Dean kneels down and starts patting Alec down._

_"Whoa...paws off till the second date. I'm not that easy"._

_Dean smirks at Alec's comment. Then he reaches into Alec's pockets and pull out a few different things...all with price tags on. He sighs and looks at Alec._

_"Oh hey!" Alec grins his cheeky smile "Hehe. How'd they get in there?"_

_Dean cracks and smirks "How indeed"._

_Shaking his head, Dean stands up and grabs Alec's hand. He starts leading them away from the aisle. Dean putting the almost stolen goods back on the shelf._

_"But...but...I want it" Alec pouts, looking back at the snow globe "It's shiny"._

_Dean rolls his eyes "You didn't even know what it was, till I told you"._

_"Yeah but... it's shiny... It was like it called out to me"._

_Dean chuckles, "That cat DNA really shows up sometimes"._

_Alec glares up at Dean as they walk into the aisle that John and Ben are in._

_John looks at the pair as they approach and he raise an eyebrow at Dean in question._

_"Sticky fingers" Dean says in answer._

_Ben glares at his brother, he was being bad again, "Alec!"_

_Alec rolls his eyes and sighs, "You acting as though it's a shock that I tried to steal something...It's me, of course I tried to steal"._

_John pinned Alec down with a hard look, that made the young boy squirm, "We don't steal from shops. The people need the money they earn here"._

_"Oh, but hustling people out of their money at a bar is fine?" Alec mumbles._

_"They willingly put their money on the table. We don't take it out of their pockets"._

_Alec pouts and crosses his arms over his chest, sulking like a toddler and Dean rolls his eyes._

_"But it was shiny" he mutters._

_John looks at Dean, who shrugs and say's "I think It's a cat thing"._

_Alec glares, "I'll show you a cat thing"._

_John shakes his head and sighs. These boys...it really was like having a young Dean again... Two young Deans. Ben was the obedient, do as he's told Dean. Alec was the cheeky, I'll do as I want Dean... And of course, they had they added cat DNA._

_He still couldn't get over how people could look at children...babies, and want to do the things that had been done to Ben and Alec. John knew he probably sounded slightly hypocritical because he made Dean grow up way to fast and become a soldier...but he at least did a slightly better job with his boys then a secret government facility did with those children. There were moments, years ago, where John was just a father and his kids got to be kids... And he never let Dean help with a hunt till he was 18._

_At least Dean and Sam knew what toys were and had some...Ben and Alec had been confused by them and didn't understand what the point of them was. It was a sad sight to witness._

_Ben and Alec might be a second chance... Dean hadn't been so happy as he was now, since Sam had left._

_...Mary would have been proud of Dean... He was doing a really good job with them._

_When they had first met the boys, both of them had been just like soldiers... but slowly Dean had been able to get Alec out of his shell first, and the boy had really come out of his shell. In and out of everything. He was like a child who was visiting Disney World for the first time, everything was fascinating and he wanted to do and see it all._

_Ben...he was taking longer to coax out of his shell. But his son had made some head way...the boy had stopped calling him 'Sir' all the time. It had taken a couple of months, but the child was finally comfortable calling them Dean and John._

_Those kids would be the second chance at family...but he had to kill the demon first. The one that killed Mary and opened his eyes to the un-natural side of the world... Till that demon was dead, his family wasn't safe._

_John turns his attention back to his son and clones, and watches with a small smile._

_"That the best comeback you got?" Dean shakes his head "that was weak, little dude"._

_Alec pokes his tongue out while Ben giggles. Dean loved hearing that sound because it was the sound of a child, not an experimental soldier._

_Talking about soldiers...they had come to this town, last night, because it seemed like there was a ghost roaming around the place. Usually Dean was all for a hunt... but at the moment he wasn't. Simply because the boys were going to join in this hunt. It would be their first hunt and Dean was nervous as hell for it._

_They had told the twins, about a month ago, all about the supernatural. Neither boy believed them, Alec made his disbelief known in the form of calling him and dad crazy. However, they had been willing to go along with it till they could get some proof, since Dean and John had believed them._

_So... this was the proof. A simple salt and burn. That was all. Yet Dean...he still wasn't happy about it, and he wasn't sure why... The boys were genetically enhanced super soldiers and had been learning everything they need to know about ghosts for the past month._

_But Dean still didn't like them doing this for some reason._

_Maybe it was because Alec looked like a care-free child and Ben had stopped with the whole 'Sir' thing... Maybe he was realising that the boys were more than just some random kids..._

_Anyhow, he'll be happy when the hunt is over with._

_Dean looks over at Alec and smirks. He grabs the boy and lifts him upside down, before the child realises what's going on._

_"Hey...my feet aren't on the floor anymore" Alec giggles "...wow...the world looks so weird this way up"._

_"That's cause your upside down" Ben rolls his eyes at his twin._

_Dean looks over at their cart before saying, "I'll go grab the milk"._

_He walks away, leaving Ben and John, still carrying the upside-down Alec with him. He stops by the milk and grabs a carton, while Alec also grabs one from his position. Other shoppers give the pair a glance. Some looking down their noses at them and other smiling fondly._

_Dean puts Alec back on his feet, and the child grins up at him... ... ..._

What Dean would give just to have Alec smile at him again. The kid wouldn't even look at him and it was killing Dean. Ben...he wasn't completely alright either since the shifter, but at least he was looking and talking. He didn't seem to be as...broken as Alec was. His Buddy was basically a zombie.

He had done everything he could think of, but the kid just wouldn't do anything but sit staring into space. Hell, the kid was barely responding to Ben either.

He didn't even pester to be involved in the last hunt that they had. It was a ghost of a Hook Man, and normally Alec would have been all over that. Alec should have complained and thrown a fit that Dean told them it was too dangerous for them and they had to stay in the motel...but he didn't kick up a fuss.

Dean was seriously freaking out now, cuz he was positive that Alec was broken for good.

Right now, they were in Oklahoma checking on the death of a gas company employee who had supposedly died from mad cow disease. Alec should have been bouncing up and down begging Dean to let him be the one that jumped down into the hole where the guy had died, but he just sat in the car. Ben had stayed in there so he could keep Alec company.

Sam could see that his brother was practically dying on the inside. Every time he tried to just talk to Alec the kid basically blanks him...and even though Ben was still talking and stuff, he still wasn't how he used to be. He wasn't okay either... And Sam could see that it was destroying Dean...but he had no idea how to help, so for now he was going to focus on the case.

At the moment, they were driving away from the crime scene, Sam examining a dead beetle that he had found in the hole that the man had died in.

"So, you found some beetles. In a hole, in the ground. That's shocking, Sam" Dean rolls his eyes

"There were no tunnels, no tracks. No evidence of any other kind of creature down there. You know, some beetles do eat meat. Now, it's usually dead meat, but...".

"How many did you find down there?"

"Ten".

Ben decides to join in the conversation "It'd take a whole lot more than that to eat out someone's brain...Unless they were some kinds of super beetle, and that doesn't look like a super beetle. It looks and smells normal".

"Well, maybe there were more" Sam suggests.

"I don't know, it sounds like a stretch to me" Dean sighs.

"Well, we need more information on the area, the neighbourhood. Whether something like this has ever happened before".

Driving through town, they pass signs for an  _'Open House'_  and  _'Models Open, New Buyers' BBQ Today!'_  and Dean grins.

"I know a good place to start. I'm kinda hungry for a little barbeque, how 'bout you?" Dean turns to Sam who gives him a bitch face, "What, we can't talk to the locals?"

"And the free foods got nothin' to do with it?" Sam asks.

"Of course not. I'm a professional".

"Right" Sam rolls his eyes.

"What about you Munchkin's? Fancy a BBQ?" Dean looks in the rear-view mirror and as expected Alec doesn't move or say anything, and Ben only shrugs.

Dean pulls the Impala to a stop. His clones follow his lead and get out of the car with him and Sam. Dean grabs Alec hand as they walk down the street, and before he can grab Ben's hand, the child walks ahead and holds Sam's hand instead.

Dean pushes down the hurt and just continues walking down the street, passed the houses with Alec.

"Growin' up in a place like this would freak me out" Dean grimaces, looking at the homes.

"Why?" Sam asks.

"Well, manicured lawns, 'How was your day, honey?' I'd blow my brains out".

"There's nothing wrong with 'normal'".

"I'd take our family over normal any day".

Sam shakes his head and knocks on the door of the open house. A man answers.

"Welcome" he greets.

"This the barbeque?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, not the best weather, but... I'm Larry Pike, the developer here. And you are...?"

"Dean. This is Sam" Dean takes his hand from Alec's hand and places it on top of the child's head, "this is Alec, and that's Ben. My sons".

"Sam, Dean, good to meet you, and you boys. So, you two are interested in Oasis Plains?"

"Yes, sir" Dean nods.

"Let me just say, we accept homeowners of any race, religion, colour, or... sexual orientation" Larry says.

Sam and Dean's eyes widen slightly as the realises what he was trying to say. Even Alec lets a small smirk cross his lips, but says nothing and does no more than that.

"We're brothers" Dean says.

"Our father is getting on in years, and we're just lookin' for a place for him" Sam explains.

"Great, great. Well, seniors are welcome, too. Come on in" Larry says and shows the four into the backyard, where there are many people chatting and eating.

"You said you were the developer?" Sam says.

Larry nod "Eighteen months ago, I was walking this valley with my survey team. There was nothing here but scrub brush and squirrels. And you know what, we built such a nice place to live that I actually bought into it myself. This is our house. We're the first family in Oasis Plains," they walk over to a woman, "This is my wife, Joanie".

"Hi there" Joanie smiles

"Hi" Dean shakes her hand.

"Hi, nice to meet you".

"Sam and Dean, and his son's Ben and Alec" Larry introduces them.

"Sam" Sam shakes her hand.

"Pleasure" Joanie then smiles at the two boys.

Larry looks at his wife, "Tell them how much you love the place, honey. And lie if you have to because I need to sell some houses".

"Right" Joanie laughs.

"Boys, will you excuse me?" Larry walks away.

"Don't let his salesman routine scare you. This really is a great place to live".

A woman, with dark hair pulled up, walks up to the group, "Hi, I'm Lynda Bloome, head of sales".

"And Lynda was second to move in. She's a very noisy neighbour, though" Joanie jokes before leaving.

Lynda laughs, "She's kidding, of course. I take it you two are interested in becoming homeowners".

"Well..." Dean says.

"Y-yeah, well..." Sam nods.

"Well, let me just say that we accept homeowners of any race, religion, colour, or... sexual orientation" Lynda says.

Dean chuckles "Right. Um... I'm gonna go talk to Larry" Dean looks at Sam, "Okay, honey?"

He walks away with Alec, smacking Sam on his ass. Both clones let their mouths twitch in a slight smile. Ben decides to follow after Dean and Alec, because he knew his brother doesn't like being alone with Dean anymore, not since...

Ben knew that Dean was trying hard to get him and especially Alec back to normal...

He knew, or at least some part of him knew, that the shifter words were a load of rubbish...but...but at the same time, they weren't and it may not have been the real Dean, but it was good enough.

That wasn't even the worst part of that day.

No, the worst wasn't hearing the thing with Dean's face say that he didn't like them...but seeing Dean's dead body. Ben didn't think he would every get that out of his head...

Ben usually had nightmares of Manticore... but now it was of Dean dying and leaving him and Alec all alone.

...he wasn't sure what was running through his brother's mind. Whether it was the shifters dead body as Dean or the word the shifter as Dean had said, that was affecting Alec so badly, Ben didn't know. Not only had his brother shut himself down from Sam and Dean, but from him too.

That also scared Ben...he's never seen Alec like this. Alec was the strong brother, he always knew how to make Ben feel better...and now the roles were reversed, and Ben hated that he can't help his brother.

Ben sighs as prays to the Blue Lady for the 100th time since that day. Praying that she would fix everything. Make it go back to the way things were before that damn shifter... But nothing...she wasn't helping. Ben knew why. It was because he hadn't given her an offering in ages.

He knew that now, more than ever, he was going to have to find a way to give her a gift, and he would.

* * *

 

Sam, this time is driving the Impala, while Dean sit's in the passenger seat, flipping through John's journal. The clones sat quietly in the back, with some milk. Alec staring out of the window, looking at nothing, and Ben listening to Sam and Dean's conversation.

"You know, I've heard of killer bees, but killer beetles? What is it that could make different bugs attack?" Dean sighs.

"Well, hauntings sometimes include bug manifestations" Sam says.

"Yeah, but I didn't see any evidence of ghost activity".

"Yeah, me neither".

"Maybe they're being controlled somehow. You know, by something or someone" Ben suggests.

"You mean, like Willard?" Sam says

Ben makes a face, "I don't understand that reference".

"I'll explain it later Squirt" Dean says, then turns to Sam "Could be...bugs instead of rats".

"There are cases of psychic connections between people and animals... elementals, telepaths" Sam explains.

"Yeah, that whole Timmy-Lassie thing" Dean pauses "...Larry's kid...he's got bugs for pets".

"Matt?" Ben asks.

"Yeah".

"He did try to scare the realtor with a tarantula" Sam remembers.

"You think he's our Willard?"

"I don't know. Anything's possible, I guess".

"Ooh, hey. Pull over here" Dean points to one of the empty Oasis Plains homes.

Sam pulls into the driveway, confused "What are we doing here?"

"It's too late to talk to anybody else" Dean gets out of the Impala.

"We're gonna squat in an empty house?" Sam asks, as Dean opens the garage door.

"Isn't that illegal" Ben pipes up.

Dean grins "I'm pretty sure this is one of the least illegal things we've done".

"Sadly, that's probably true" Sam sighs

"Look, I wanna try the steam shower. Okay? So, come on" Dean looks at Sam, who doesn't move "Come on!"

Reluctantly, Sam pulls the Impala into the garage, and Dean closes the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a VERY important reason why I'm doing this chapter ;) and you'll have to keep reading and see why.
> 
> This episode will probably be 3 chapters long, and once again...it's going to take more than a couple of chapter for the whole shapeshifter thing to get resolved. That is because I'm trying to make this as realistic as I possibly can.  
> I hope you liked the flashback of Alec and Dean, cuz I thought it was freakin adorable.
> 
> Please kudos and review.  
> Both negative and positive reviews are welcome. I like knowing that you are enjoying my story, as well as knowing what I can do to improve it for you guys.  
> Thanks for Reading :)


	13. Bugs (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to last chapter on this episode, the next chapter will be the last one for episode 8.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 13.  
Episode 8 (Bugs).

He blinks.

Since he grew up in a secret government facility, Alec didn't know much about emotions. He knew the basic ones; happy, sad, angry, scared. Other than that, Alec didn't have a clue. It wasn't like Manticore was big on emotions. Which meant that Alec had no freakin clue as to the emotion he has been feeling for the past couple of weeks.

To him...everything seemed to be moving slowly and a lot of the time, everything sounded as though he had water in his ears... He was here...but it didn't feel like it. Nothing seemed to make him stop feeling like this either. Not pie...not arguing with Ben...not his army men...Not even Dean letting him have ice cream after every meal.

Hell, not even the steam shower that Dean had insisted he and Ben use last night before they went to bed.

Everything was so simple at Manticore. Yeah it sucked and was awful...but Alec understood everything there. He knew his place... He didn't feel all of these strange and different emotions that were making his head hurt...

He blinks.

Alec had a couple of hours sleep, that was all transgenic really needed anyway, and the rest of the time was spent staring up at the ceiling. Ever since the...shapeshifter incident, everything had been a blur.

Everything.

Alec could barely tell one day from another, they all felt the same and seemed like the just merged together.

He had attacked Dean... It wasn't Dean, but it had Deans face. It talked like Dean...it kind of smelled liked Dean... It knew what Dean thought.

He had attacked Dean. No wonder why he didn't like him...he did only cause trouble. Ben was right, he was bad. He was gonna make Dean kick them to the kerb, and it wouldn't be Ben's fault... Ben needs Dean, and he was ruining everything for his brother.

Alec was bad.

He only causes trouble.

It wasn't Dean...but it was...and Alec had tried to kill it, kill Dean. He  _wanted_  to kill...and then suddenly Dean was dead, or the thing with Dean's face.

Alec was bad.

He attacked Dean. Why was he such a fuck up? Why did he have to be bad?

He blinks.

"Alec? Ben?" Sam's muffled voice breaks his train of thought, "It's time to get up and going. Something came in on the police scanner".

Alec could just about register Sam's feet shuffle away. He could feel Ben move next to him, as he moves off the bed, like the good clone he was.

Ben was good...he was bad.

Slowly Alec crawls out of the bed and pulls on his clothes...even putting on clothes just seemed to take for every to do. It was probably a good thing he had a shower last night, or they may be here till lunch.

Ben lingers in the room, waiting for Alec to finishes getting dressed. He knew his brother had been awake most of the night, like usual. Ben really had no idea what to do...it was always Alec who made him feel better. He felt like a bad brother.

"Ready then Al?" Ben smiles at him, hoping but knowing that he won't get much of a response.

And he was right. All Alec did was nod his head and grab his bag. Sighing Ben grabs his bag and walks out of the room, with Alec trailing behind. They spot Sam still in the hallway, next to the bathroom door.

"Dean's still in there?" Ben asks, "I heard the shower start about an hour ago".

"Yeah" Sam sighs and nods, turning to the door he knocks "You ever comin' out of there?"

"What?" Dean's muffled voice shouts.

"Dean, a police call came in on the scanner".

"Hold on" they hear shuffling.

Sam continues "someone was found dead three blocks from here. Come on".

The bathroom door opens and steam flows out of the room. Dean pokes his head out from behind the door, with a towel on his head. Ben scrunches his face slightly with amusement, at the sight of this.

"This shower is awesome" Dean grins.

Rolling his eyes, Sam says "Come on".

Sam walks away as Dean shuts the door, the clones follow behind the giant man down the hallway. It really was a nice house, and the bed was comfy...however, it was all bright and neat...It didn't really appeal to either of the boys.

"Right, we'll start packing everything back into the car while we wait for Dean" Sam says.

* * *

 

Dean pulls the Impala to a stop outside of Lynda Bloomes house. The brother's spot Larry on the lawn, talking on the phone. Turning the engine off, Dean turns to the boys.

"It's probably best if you wait here for a moment while we talk to Larry".

Alec says nothing and continues to stare blankly out of the window. Ben only nods.

Sighing, trying to push his frustration down, Dean climbs out of the Impala after Sam. He just wanted everything to go back to how it was. He just wanted his boys back to how they were.

They approach Larry, as Lynda's body is being wheel out in a body bag.

"Hello. You're, uh, back early" Larry says.

Dean nods "Yeah, we just drove in, wanted to take another look at the neighbourhood".

"What's goin' on?" Sam asks.

"You guys met, uh... Lynda Bloome at the barbeque?"

"The realtor" Sam nods.

"Well, she, uh... passed away last night".

The brothers put on their best 'shocked' and 'concerned' faces.

"What happened?" Dean asks.

"I'm still tryin' to find out. Identified the body for the police. Look, I-I'm sorry, this isn't a good time now".

"It's okay" Sam says.

"Excuse me" Larry says, before walking away from the bothers.

Dean turns to Sam "you know what we have to do, right?"

"Yeah. Get in that house".

"See if we got a bug problem".

* * *

 

"So, Larry's kid scared the women with spiders...and now she's dead and there were spiders in her house" Ben looks from Dean to Sam to clarify the information.

"Yeah, and the fact she also died from spider bites" Dean says as he pulls up at the curb, as the school bus stops.

They watch Matt get off of the bus, and then walk away.

"Isn't his house that way?" Dean points in the other direction to the way Matt was walking.

Sam nods "Yup".

"So, where's he goin'?" Ben asks.

"Dunno, but we're going to find out. Let's go" Dean says, opening the door and getting out.

As soon as Alec door is closed, Dean grabs his hand and drags him along as they follow Matt.

Following him as he walks into the woods. They watch as he bends down to look at something, and that's when Sam makes himself known.

"Hey, Matt. Remember me?"

Matt jumps up and looks at them, confusion written on his face "What are you doin' out here?"

"Well, we wanna talk to you" Dean says.

"You're not here to buy a house, are you?" Matt says slowly and Dean shakes his head. Matt's eyes widen slightly "W-wait. You're not serial killers?"

Sam and Dean laugh, while Ben rolls his eyes. Like they would tell him they were actually serial killers.

"No, no. No, I think you're safe" Sam smiles.

"So, Matt... you sure know a lot about insects" Dean starts cutting to the chase.

Matt looks from Sam to Dean "So?"

"Did you hear what happened to Lynda, the realtor?"

"I heard she died this morning".

"Mm, that's right. Spider bites".

"Matt... you tried to scare her with a spider" Sam says in his soft, sensitive tone.

"Wait. You think I had something to do with that?"

"You tell us" Ben butts in, staring at the teenager.

"That tarantula was a joke. Anyway, that wouldn't explain the bee attack or the gas company guy".

"You know about those?" Sam asks.

"There is somethin' going on here. I don't know what... but something's happening with the insects. Let me show you something".

Matt picks up his backpack and beings walking with them to another area.

"So, if you knew about all this bug stuff, why not tell your dad? Maybe he could clear everybody out" Sam says.

Matt shakes his head "believe me, I've tried. But, uh, Larry doesn't listen to me".

"Why not?"

"Mostly? He's too disappointed in his freak son".

Sam scoffs "I hear you".

"You do?" Dean looks at Sam.

Alec may not be himself, but he's still on the same kind of wave length that Ben's on, as they share a look with each other. Both knowing that Sam was entering dangerous territory with Dean.

"Matt, how old are you?" Sam asks.

"Sixteen".

"Well, don't sweat it, because in two years, something great's gonna happen".

"What?"

"College" Sam grins "you'll be able to get out of that house and away from your dad".

Dean give Sam a small glare "what kind of advice is that? Kid should stick with his family".

Sam sighs and glares at Dean, before he turns back to the teenager.

"How much further, Matt?"

"We're close".

Sam glares at Dean one more time before he continues walking. A few moments later, they reach a large clearing. The sounds of hundreds of different insects are buzzing around the trees.

"I've been keeping track of insect populations. It's, um, part of an AP science class".

"You two are like peas in a pod" Dean says.

Sam ignores Dean and he asks Matt "what's been happening?"

"A lot. I mean, from bees to earthworms, beetles... you name it. It's like they're congregating here".

"Why?" Dean asks.

"I don't know" Matt shakes his head.

Ben squints "what's that?"

He points to a dark patch of grass a few feet away… right in the middle of the clearing. All of them curious, they walk over to it and see hundreds of worms. Dean kicks some of them, moving them away slightly, and they fall into the ground, creating a hole. He crouches down and uses a stick to poke around in the hole.

"Is it wise to poke something you don't know?" Ben looks at Dean.

Dean shrugs "there's somethin' down there".

He puts the stick down and puts his hand into the hole. Dean's face morphs into a disgusted expression, as he feels something inside the hole. Gripping whatever it is, Dean brings his hand back up, revealing a human skull covered in dirt and worms.

The two older men, plus Matt look horrified. While Alec, looks at it with slight look of disgust on his face...and Ben...he looks at it like he was just given a bowl of ice cream, because the skull has teeth.

* * *

 

Dean put's the bones back in the trunk of the Impala, then climbs back into the driver's seat and starts the engine.

"So, what did the college professor say?" Ben asks.

"Well, the bones are almost 200 years old, and they're most likely Native American. There weren't any know tribes on the land during that time, but native people moving around a lot was common, so a tribe could have settled there for a while" Sam says.

"There is a tribe...uh, the Euchee tribe nearby, in Sapulpa. It's about sixty miles from here. The professor suggested that someone out there might know the truth" Dean adds.

Ben nods and says nothing more. Dean looks in his review mirror and internally sighs, at the moment Alec was still staring blankly out of the window at nothing...It was like there was nobody home.

He was seriously stuck, and had no idea how to help Alec... Maybe it was just time that he need. It wasn't like Alec was immediately alright with him and dad the first time they met. It took time before he got comfortable and become the cheeky, trouble maker that he loved.

Dean was praying it was just time...he didn't want to think that he's lost Alec for good.

* * *

 

Parking the Impala up in a free space outside of the diner, For, about the tenth time this day, turns off the engine. Sighing, he pulls himself out of the Impala and waits for the boys to clamber out.

"You really think he's going to be able to help?" Ben asks, taking hold of Dean's left hand, as Dean grabs Alec with his other.

Sam shrugs as they enter the diner "Don't know, but this is the only lead we have".

They notice a Native American man, with a deck of cards, sitting at one of the tables.

"Joe White Tree?" Sam approaches, and the man nods "we'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right".

"We're students from the university" Dean says.

"No, you're not. You're lying" Joe says, without looking up.

Dean looks at the man, slightly taken back, before trying again "Well, truth is-"

"You know who starts sentence with "truth is"?" Joe interrupts "Liars".

Ben's mouth twitches into a smile, as Dean exchanges a look with Sam.

"Have you heard of Oasis Plains? It's a housing development near the Atoka Valley" Sam tries.

Joe looks at Dean "I like him. He's not a liar".

Dean glares at the man, while Ben's small smile turns into an open grin. He looks at Alec, who's mouth only just twitches. The Alec from before the shapeshifter would have loved this...

"I know the area" Joe continues.

"What can you tell us about the history there?" Sam asks.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Something... something bad is happening in Oasis Plains. We think it might have something to do with some old bones we found down there... Native American bones".

"I'll tell you what my grandfather told me, what his grandfather told him. Two hundred years ago, a band of my ancestors lived in that valley. One day, the American cavalry came to relocate them. They were resistant, the cavalry impatient. As my grandfather put it, on the night the moon and the sun share the sky as equals, the cavalry first raided our village. They murdered, raped. The next day, the cavalry came again, and the next, and the next. And on the sixth night, the cavalry came one last time. And by the time the sun rose, every man, woman, and child still in the village was dead. They say on the sixth night, as the chief of the village lay dying, he whispered to the heavens that no white man would ever tarnish this land again. Nature would rise up and protect the valley. And it would bring as many days of misery and death to the white man as the cavalry had brought upon his people".

"Insects. Sounds like nature to me" Dean says.

"Six days" Ben mutters.

Joe nods "and on the night of the sixth day, none would survive".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now it may have clicked why this episode was important, because of the bones...can anyone say oh no? So, yeah...Ben will now have his teeth to give to the Blue Lady...but does that mean Alec will be fixed? You'll have to wait and see, won't you.  
> Please review my story. I like to know what you like and what I can do to make it better for you guys.  
> Also kudos-ing and bookmark-ing is very much welcome too.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	14. Bugs (part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in this chapter...Ben does something naughty...uh oh. While Alec finally talks...yay!  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 14.  
Episode 8 (Bugs).

The group walk back to the Impala.

Stopping next to the Impala, Sam asks "when did the gas company man die?"

"Uh, let's see, we got here Tuesday, so, Friday the twentieth" Dean thinks back.

"March twentieth? That's the spring equinox".

"The night the sun and the moon share the sky as equals" Ben says.

Sam nods "so, every year about this time, anybody in Oasis Plains is in danger... Larry built this neighbourhood on cursed land".

"And on the sixth night... that's tonight" Dean realises.

"If we don't do something, Larry's family will be dead by sunrise. So how do we break the curse?"

Dean shakes his head "you don't break a curse. You get out of its way. We've gotta get those people out now".

They all hurry into the Impala.

"Can't you just salt and burn the skull?" Ben asks, leaning forward as Dean pulls out of the diners parking lot.

"No, a curse is different to a haunting. You can fight a haunting, but you can't fight a curse. The best we can do is to get away from it" Dean says.

Ben sees his opportunity and asks, "are the bones cursed?"

He knows he can't take the teeth if it'll put a curse on them...He's trying to help Alec and Dean, not make things worse by giving the Blue Lady cursed teeth.

Dean shakes his head "no, for once, the bones are just bones. It's the land that's cursed".

"So... the bones aren't dangerous or have a curse on them, they're just bones".

"Yeah, just plain old bones" Dean nods "we'll bury them back where they belong tomorrow. When this is all over".

Ben says no more, but silently smiles to himself as he leans back in his seat. It was perfect.

"It's going to be tight" Sam says, referring to the time, "It'll be almost midnight by the time we get there".

"I know" Dean huffs, pulling out his phone and dialling a number. After a moment Dean talks "...Yes, Mr. Pike, there's a mainline gas leak in your neighbourhood... Well, it's fairly extensive. I don't want to alarm you, but we need your family out of the vicinity for at least twelve hours or so, just to be safe... Travis Weaver. I work for Oklahoma Gas and Power... Uh..."

Panicking, Dean flips the phone closed, hanging up on Larry.

"Give me the phone" Sam takes Deans phone and dials a different number "...Matt, it's Sam... Matt, just listen. You have to get your family out of that house right now, okay?... Because something's coming... Yeah, a lot more... You've gotta make him listen, okay?"

Dean attempts to grab the phone back from Sam "give me the phone, give me the phone", finally managing to get the phone, Dean puts it to his ear "Matt, under no circumstances are you to tell the truth, they'll just think you're nuts... Tell him you have a sharp pain in your right side and you've gotta go to the hospital, okay…?"

Dean hangs up the phone and looks at Sam, with an eyebrow raised "make him listen? What are you thinkin'?"

"He's got a point Sam" Ben pipes up "Son or not... telling someone that bugs are coming to kill them, isn't the smartest thing to do. There is no way anyone would listen to that, without them thinking you're insane".

* * *

 

Dean pulls the Impala to a stop outside of Larry's house, and notices that the lights are still on and see's Larry opening the front door.

"Damn it, they're still here" Dean groans "come on".

Sam, Dean and Ben climb out of the Impala, as Matt walks out of the house to join them on the lawn.

Alec mutters "why do people make it difficult to save them?". Sighing, he pushes his door open, and joins his brother.

"Get off my property before I call the cops" Larry glares at them.

"Mr. Pike, listen" Sam says calmly.

"Dad, they're just tryin' to help" Matt tries.

"Get in the house!" Larry practically yells.

Matt looks to Sam and Dean, "I'm sorry. I told him the truth".

"We had a plan, Matt, what happened to the plan?" Dean throws his arms up.

"Look, it's 12:00 AM. They are coming any minute now. You need to get your family and go, before it's too late".

Larry gives a sarcastic smirk "yeah, you mean before the biblical swarm".

"Larry, what do you think really happened to that realtor, huh? And the gas company guy? You don't think somethin' weird's goin' on here?" Dean was staring to get annoyed with the guy now. Why are people so closed minded all the damn time!

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you're crazy. You come near my boy or my family again, and we're gonna have a problem".

"Well, I hate to be a downer, but we've got a problem right now".

Alec tilts his head slightly...there was a noise, other than the men arguing. It was only faint...but it was consistent. He looks at Ben, and he can tell he hears it too from the look on his brother's face.

It was like...a buzzing sound.

"Dad, they're right, okay? We're in danger" Matt pleads with his dad.

Larry turns to him "Matt, get inside! Now!"

Alec looks around and narrows his eyes into the darkness of the night, as the sound starts growing louder. Trying to pin point where the sound was coming from was difficult, since it sounded as though it was coming from all directions.

"No! Why won't you listen to me?!"

"Because this is crazy! It doesn't make any sense!"

Alec mentally sighs when the swarm of bugs come into his night vision sight...Because Larry was a difficult dick, they were going to be eaten by bugs. Just great, thanks Larry.

He may still feel anxious when it comes to Dean, but Alec knows that saving innocent people always comes first. You save the personal shit for when you're of the battlefield.

Sucking it up, Alec pulls on Dean's arm.

It takes Dean only a second to realise that Alec was trying to get his attention. Kneeling down, he looks at Alec. He wasn't sure whether to be happy or concerned. This was the first time, since the shifter, that Alec was interacting with him and not acting like the walking dead.

"What's wrong Buddy?"

"Listen" Alec says, hinting to the sky "they're here".

Dean frowns in confusion slightly, before concentrating.

Sam decides to try to reason with Larry "look, this land is cursed! People have died here. Now, are you gonna really take that risk with your family?"

"Wait" Dean says, still crouching next to Alec, and they all go silent "you hear it?"

All, but Alec and Ben, strain they're ears as they try to listen...and then they can hear it. From somewhere nearby, a buzzing noise starts getting louder.

Larry looks around, bewilderment on his face "what the hell?"

The group look over to the porch as a zapping sound is heard. The fluorescent bug light on the porch begins to overheat, killing several bugs at a time.

"All right, it's time to go. Larry, get your wife" Dean says.

"Guys" Matt's eyes widen as he looks at the sky.

Everyone's head turn to see what Matt is looking at...well, all except Alec and Ben, who already saw them coming. Them being the millions of bugs flying straight for them, completely blanketing the sky. Covering the stars and the moon, making the night even darker.

"Oh my God" Larry breathes.

Sam shakes his head "we'll never make it".

Dean pause for a moment, struggling with what to do, before deciding "everybody in the house. Everybody in the house, go!"

They all rush into the house. Dean making sure Ben and Alec were inside before him, shuts the door tightly and locks it.

"Okay, is there anybody else in the neighbourhood?" Sam asks.

"No, it's just us" Larry shakes his head.

Joanie enters the room with concern "honey, what's happening? What's that noise?"

"Call 911" Larry says, but she doesn't move "Joanie!"

"Okay!" she grabs the phone and starts dialling.

"I need towels" Dean looks to Larry.

"Uh, in the closet" Larry says.

Sam turns to Matt, Alec and Ben "okay, we've gotta lock this place up, come on... doors, windows, fireplace, everything, okay?"

The boys nod and race up the stairs.

"Phones are dead" Joanie puts the phone down.

"They must have chewed through the phone lines" Dean says as he starts shoving the towels at the base of the front door...Then the power cuts out "And the power lines".

"I need my cell" Larry picks up his phone, and sighs "No signal".

Dean shakes his head "you won't get one. They're blanketing the house".

The group of seven watch as the millions of bugs start hitting into the doors and windows, covering the entire house. Engulfing them in darkness.

"So, what do we do now?" Larry asks.

"We try to outlast it. Hopefully, the curse will end at sunrise" Sam says, as Dean walks into the kitchen.

"Hopefully?"

Dean returns to the living room with a can of bug spray in his hand.

"Bug spray?" Joanie looks at him sceptically.

"Trust me" Dean says.

"Oh no" Ben mutters as his cat ears pick up the creaking noise from the fireplace, just before everyone else hears it.

"What is that?" Matt asks.

"They're coming down the chimney" Ben says.

"All right, I think everybody needs to get upstairs" Dean orders just as hundreds of bugs burst into the living room from the fireplace, swarming and flying all around them.

The Pike family scream and panic, throwing their arms around, trying to protect themselves. Dean uses a lighter with the can of bug spray to make it flare up, and the bugs scatter away from the flame.

"All right, everybody upstairs! Now!" Dean shouts, herding the group "Go, go, go!"

Following them up the stairs, Dean attempts to keep the bugs away with the spray. The group climb up and into the attic, and once everyone is in, Sam closes the door. They all catch they're breathes and sigh in relief.

Both Ben and Alec groan, when they hear something lightly scratching on the ceiling. Dean looks at the twins and they point to the ceiling, just as sawdust begins to fall down. The buzzing of the bees and other bugs gets louder.

"Oh, God, what's that?" Joanie cries.

"Something's eating through the wood" Dean groans.

"Termites" Ben says.

"All right, everybody get back" Dean waves his arms in a shooing motion, herding the Pikes and the clones towards the corner "get back, get back, get back!"

Seconds later the bugs shower into the attic and fill the room, swarming the group. Sam and Dean attempt to cover up the hole, only for more holes to be chewed for more bugs to fly in. Dean blasts them with the bugs spray and lighter, but it quickly runs out. Chucking the can away in frustration, Dean and Sam back up and attempted to protect the others by swatting at the bugs.

Sadly, both Ben and Alec had a small urge to want to swat at the bugs. The quick movements, catching their cat eyes...The cat DNA was wanting them to play catch.

They had no idea how long they were doing this for, when suddenly the attic becomes lighter, as the sun beams through the holes in the ceiling. The bugs being to make their way out of the attic, and flying off into the sky.

Dean drops his gaze to the twins, and checks them over.

* * *

 

"Benny, why don't you pick a tape for the road. The box is in the trunk" Dean says, giving Ben's hair a quick ruffle.

"Kay" Ben nods, and walks over to the trunk.

"You did a good job back there Bud" Dean says to Alec... The kid had talked to him last night, so hopefully this was the start of Alec getting better.

Alec just shrugs and leans against the Impala, looking at the ground... Okay, not the best response, and it still hurt...However, it was still a response, and it was more then what he was getting yesterday morning. For now, Dean would take it.

"Right, well, we'll be back in a minute" Dean squeeze Alec's shoulder, then he and Sam walk over to Larry, who was putting some boxes into a moving van.

Ben looks over to Sam and Dean, and see's their attention on Larry. Looking to Alec, he sees his brother watching the ground, and not concentrating on anything...It was his perfect opportunity.

Well, it was his only opportunity, because the professor guy that Sam and Dean had gone to see about the bones, called them earlier and asked them to drop the bones back at the college. So instead of re-burying them, the government was now going to investigate them.

It was now, or never.

Pulling the box with the bones towards himself, Ben grabs the skull. He'd only need a few teeth for the Blue Lady, she'd be happy with that, and then Alec will start getting back to normal once he gave them to her tonight. He easily pulls out the back few teeth and shoves them into his trouser pocket.

Putting the skull back down carefully into the box, Ben glides it back into the corner of trunk.

Quickly grabbing a random cassette tape, he shuts the trunk and walks over to Alec. Copying his twin's stance, he leans against the Impala, and catches a bit of the conversation Sam and Dean were having with Larry.

"-development's been put on hold while the government investigates those bones you found. But I'm gonna make damn sure no one lives here again" Larry says.

"You don't seem too upset about it" Sam notes.

Larry sighs "well, this has been the biggest financial disaster of my career, but..." he looks over to watch Matt but some stuff into the garbage "somehow, I really don't care".

Sam smiles and walks over to Matt as he throws away all of his insect paraphernalia.

"What's this?"

"I don't know. They kind of weird me out now" Matt lightly laughs.

"Yeah, I should hope so".

Ben stops eavesdropping and turns to Alec. His hands were shoved into his jean pockets, head down and shoulder slightly hunched, with his eyes trained to the pavement.

Soon things will all be better. The Blue lady will fix everything.

Ben turns his head back to Sam and Dean as he hears them approach.

"Can he really make sure no one lives here ever again?" Ben asks.

Dean shrugs "don't know, but he's gonna try".

Sam looks at Dean, "I wanna find dad".

"Yeah, me too" Dean says, walking over to the Impala's driver's side door.

"Yeah, but I just... I want to apologise to him".

"For what?"

"All the things I said to him. He was just doin' the best he could".

"Well, don't worry, we'll find him. And then you'll apologise. And then within five minutes, you guys will be at each other's throats" Dean smirks.

"Yeah, probably" Sam laughs "...Let's hit the road".

Dean nods "Let's. You pick a tape Squirt?".

"Yeah" Ben passes the tape to Dean, before climbing into the Impala after Alec.

Popping the tape in, the brother's give Matt and Larry a last wave, before Dean drives off feeling like this was a successful hunt. Mostly because Alec was finally responding to him, even if it was just a shrug. It was something, and Dean could work with something.

Ben slides his hand into his pocket and squeezes the teeth in his hand, reassuringly. Everything was going to be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the end of most people's least favourite episode. The next chapter will be on episode 9, Home. I'm a little excited for that one.  
> Anyway, as usual, please review and let me know what you think. Whether you like it, or what I could improve to make the story better for you. Also, kudos and bookmark please.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	15. Episode 9, Home (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make sure I got Dean's character right in this episode. You know, what's going on in his mind and his emotions of having to go back to his house. I hope I wrote him well.  
> Thats mostly the reason why this chapter isn't the longest, because I wanted to make sure I got Deans feelings in it.  
> Anyway, the bit you all have probably been waiting for... The next chapter.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 15.  
Episode 9 (Home).

Ben kicks his feet back and forth in the air, as he lies on his stomach on the bed, with his eyes locked on to his note book of the Blue Lady, as he jotted things down.

He was in a reasonably pleased mood. After he had collected the teeth for the Blue Lady, Ben was only able to give her the offering a couple of days ago. However, the Blue Lady must have been somewhat happy, because Alec had started to interact with everyone ever so slightly. He still wasn't back to normal, but he was getting there. It was a start.

And it was all thanks to the Blue Lady. She really was wonderful.

Alec was lying on the ground, close to the bathroom. He had a few of his army men and was silently playing with them.

He still hadn't really talked much to anyone, keeping mostly to himself. He still wasn't overly comfortable to be alone with Dean, and he  _still_ didn't understand the emotions he was feeling, he sure as  _hell_  wasn't going to talk or ask anyone about them. He wasn't Ben, he wasn't a baby.

However, Alec did feel slightly better than he did a few weeks ago. Maybe him having to talk to Dean during the whole bug fiasco gave him the kick in the butt he need to start getting his head out of the clouds ...Alec wasn't sure, but either way he felt himself adding a word or two into conversations and being able to keep his focus on the hunt.

Well he had too... or else his mind would drift to the shifter incident... and he didn't like thinking about it... it was like when he was in Psy-Ops. Alec didn't like to think about those time's either.

Dean was sat at the table with the laptop, while Sam was sat on the bed opposite to Ben, not paying attention to anything but to the picture he was drawing.

"All right" Dean announces to the quiet room causing the twins to look up at him "I've been cruisin' some websites. I think I found a few candidates for our next gig. A fishing trawler found off the coast of Cali... its crew vanished. And, uh, we got some cattle mutilations in West Texas" Dean notices that Sam isn't paying attention" Hey. Am I boring you with this hunting evil stuff?"

"No. I'm listening. Keep going" Sam says in a voice that clearly shows that he isn't paying listening.

Sighing Dean continues "and, here, a Sacramento man shot himself in the head. Three times" seeing that Sam still wasn't paying any attention, Dean waves his arm "any of these things blowin' up your skirt, pal?"

Sam's eyes widen slightly as he looks at his picture "wait. I've seen this".

"Seen what?" Dean watches as Sam gets up from the bed and goes searching through his duffel bag, "what are you doing?"

Ben closes his note books and crawls backwards on his hands, so he's sat on his knees. He tilts his head slightly as he watches Sam. Alec stays where he is, but stops playing with his army men, curious as to what Sam was doing.

Sam finds a photo of their family from when he was a baby. He places his picture and the photo together, and compares the tree in them.

"Dean, I know where we have to go next".

"Where?"

"Back home... back to Kansas".

Dean blinks and freezes for a second. The second was so quick that only Ben and Alec picked up on it, and it peaked their curiosity, considering this was Dean... and Dean didn't freeze.

"Okay, random. Where'd that come from?" Dean asks.

Sam shows the photo to" all right, um, this photo was taken in front of our old house, right? The house where Mom died?"

"Yeah".

Ben and Alec knew little about this subject, the subject of Mary Winchester.

They knew the basic's, she was Sam and Deans mother, and John's wife. She was killed in a fire, by a demon over 20 years ago and they had been hunting the demon ever since then. It was clearly a sensitive subject for all of the Winchesters, so neither Ben or Alec pried.

Sam continues "and it didn't burn down, right? I mean, not completely, they rebuilt it, right?"

"I guess so, yeah. What the hell are you talkin' about?" Dean shrugs. He was getting increasingly uncomfortable about this subject. He couldn't go back there...

"Okay, look, this is gonna sound crazy but... the people who live in our old house... I think they might be in danger".

"Why would you think that?"

"Uh…it's just, um… look, just trust me on this, okay"

Sam tries to walk away, but like hell was Dean having that. He wasn't going to go back to... back there, on just Sam's 'trust me'.

"Wait, whoa, whoa, trust you?"

"Yeah" Sam nods.

"Come on, man, that's weak. You gotta give me a little bit more than that".

Sam shakes his head, not really wanting to have to explain that for some reason that he see's things in his sleep "I can't really explain it is all".

"Well, tough. I'm not goin' anywhere until you do" and Dean waits for Sam to answer.

The last time he was in that house, his mum was alive. She had carried him into Sam's room so that they could both so goodnight to the baby before going to bed himself... And then, the next thing he knew, he was woken up by his dad's yells, and him pushing Sam in to his arms and telling him to take his brother and run.

His mother... She was the most beautiful, kind, amazing women. Sam wasn't able to remember her like Dean was. Dean was just old enough to have some memories of her...just old enough to know what he was missing. Her hugs and kisses, the soup when he was sick, bedtime stories, her smile, and just so much more. Sam wouldn't be able to understand.

He didn't want to walk into their old home, and see the place that his mother died. He didn't want to stand in the spot where she took her last breath. Dean just didn't want to go full stop and see a home that was no longer theirs, that didn't have his mother inside with her loving, alive smile.

Sam sighs, but realises that he has to give in "I have these nightmares".

Alec rolls his eyes,  _no shit_. It was pretty hard to miss Sam's nightmares.

"I've noticed" Dean nods.

"And sometimes..." Sam pauses for a second before finishing "they come true".

Ben and Alec frown slightly. There had been rumours, back at Manticore, that there were other kinds of transgenic's that had... certain abilities... such as predicting future outcomes. Not quite what Sam was describing that was going on with him, plus he is way to old to be from Manticore... However, it was clear that Sam had been trying to hide this, so clearly whatever is going on with him, isn't normal.

Dean pause from a brief moment, stunned, before speaking "come again?"

"Look, Dean... I dreamt about Jessica's death... for days before it happened".

"Sam, people have weird dreams, man. I'm sure it's just a coincidence" Dean sits down on the bed next to Ben.

This was all getting to much.

Sam shakes his head "no, I dreamt about the blood dripping, her on the ceiling, the fire, everything, and I didn't do anything about it 'cause I didn't believe it. And now I'm dreaming about that tree, about our house, and about some woman inside screaming for help. I mean, that's where it all started, man, this has to mean something, right?"

"I don't know" Dean forces his panic down.

This was getting  _way_  too much.

Dean felt hot and his mind was racing and his heart was thumping.

He couldn't go back to that house. Not when he knows that his mother wasn't going to be there.

Ben moves slightly closer to Dean. He could feel Dean's panic radiating off him, like a heater gives off heat. It worried Ben because Dean never really panicked, so whatever was causing Dean to feel like this, Ben wanted to hunt it down and make it stop. It also made him anxious, cause for something to make Dean feel like this... It must be pretty big.

Alec could hear Dean's heart racing from his place on the floor. He was sure what to make off it... this wasn't a normal Dean kind of thing. Even his face betrayed him by showing off some slight emotion of...fear? Yeah it looks like fear, or something similar to it. Alec had no idea why, but knowing that Dean was clearly freaking out about something, made his heart start racing and he could feel himself start to become distressed.

He clenches his eyes shut, grips the army men in a tight hold in his fist and takes some low breaths. Alec didn't want anyone to see him like this, whatever this was because he had no idea what was happening to him. So, he forced himself to focus back onto his army men and tuned out everything else.

Sam sits down on the bed across from Dean "what do you mean you don't know, Dean? This woman might be in danger. I mean, this might even be the thing that killed Mom and Jessica!"

"All right, just slow down, would ya?" Dean stands up and starts pacing "I mean, first you tell me that you've got the Shining? And then you tell me that I've gotta go back home? Especially when..."

"When what?"

Dean looks down and frowns "when I swore to myself that I would never go back there?"

Sam gives Dean his sad puppy-dog expression "look, Dean, we have to check this out. Just to make sure".

"I know we do" Dean says with a pained expression.

* * *

 

The Impala pulls to a stop outside of Sam and Dean's old house. Alec and Ben stretch to look out the window so that they can see the house that Sam and Dean used to live in. It looks strange... Maybe because it looked like a normal house, and normal just doesn't seem to fit either of the brothers. Neither of the clones could really picture Sam or Dean living in an actual house.

The twins notice how Dean seems to pause after he turns the Impala's engine off.

"You gonna be all right, man?" Sam asks his brother.

"let me get back to you on that".

Dean grips the stirring wheel for a second, before throwing his door open and climbing out. The others clamber out of the Impala, and Ben is quick to Dean's side. He didn't need his enhanced senses of high IQ to see that Dean was feeling uneasy. Ben wanted to help, but he didn't know what the problem was, so he figured his best course of action was to stick close to Dean.

Ben slides his hand into Dean's, while Alec walks next to his brother. He could also feel that Dean was on edge, and that made his stomach feel weird. It wasn't a feeling he was used to, nor liked. However, while Alec felt similar to Ben, he still couldn't comfortably be too close to Dean. So, he opted for having Ben in-between them. That way he was still close to Dean, without having to be right next to him, where he wouldn't be able to focus properly.

The group walk up to the house and knock on the front door. After a moment, the women from Sam's dream, Jenny, opens the door.

"Yes?" Jenny asks, looking between Sam and Dean.

"Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but we're with the Federal-" Dean begins, even with the twins at his side, before Sam interrupts him.

"I'm Sam Winchester, this is my brother, Dean, and these are his son's Ben and Alec. We used to live here. You know, we were just drivin' by, and we were wondering if we could come see the old place".

Jenny's eyes flash in recognition "Winchester? Yeah, that's so funny. You know, I think I found some of your photos the other night".

Dean's face softens and his eye's show an unrecognisable emotion "you did?"

She nods and steps aside "come on in".

Walking inside the house, Ben and Alec take everything in as they shuffle along behind Jenny. The five of them enter the kitchen and see a young girl, about Ben and Alec's age, sat at the table, and a toddler in a playpen reaching his arms out and bouncing.

"Juice! Juice! Juice! Juice!" the jumpy toddler chants.

"That's Ritchie. He's kind of a juice junkie" Jenny says as she grabs a sippy cup out of the refrigerator and hands it to Ritchie "but, hey, at least he won't get scurvy" she turns to the brothers "would your boys like a drink?"

"Uh, milk if you don't mind. Thanks" Dean says, sub-consciously squeezing Ben's hand "They're, uh milk junkies".

Jenny smiles and gives a little laugh at Dean's comment as she pours some milk into a couple of plastic cups "here you boys are" she hands Ben and Alec the drinks "why don't you take a seat at the table".

"Thank you" Ben and Alec give her their best cute grins before they go to sit next to the girl.

"They're just so adorable" Jenny says.

Dean gives a quick smirk "thanks, I made them myself".

Sam closes his eyes and shakes his head. In what world did his brother think that was a good line? And really? Is he trying to pick up a women in-front of a bunch of children, or do pickup lines just naturally fall from his mouth now-a-days? Sam felt like banging his head against the wall.

Jenny chuckles slightly as she walks over to the table, where the girl and twins are.

"Sari, this is Sam and Dean. They used to live here" she says to the girl, Sari "and these lovely boys are Ben and Alec".

"Hi" Sari says and Dean waves, while the twins give a quick grin.

Sam smiles "Hey, Sari".

"So, you just moved in?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, from Wichita".

"You got family here, or...?"

Jenny shakes her head "no. I just, uh...needed a fresh start, that's all. So, new town, new job... I mean, as soon as I find one. New house".

"So, how you likin' it so far?" Sam inquires.

"Well, uh, all due respect to your childhood home... I mean, I'm sure you had lots of happy memories here" Dean smiles weakly at that, Jenny continues not noticing "but this place has its issues".

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just getting old. Like the wiring, you know? We've got flickering lights almost hourly".

"Oh, that's too bad. What else?" Dean says causally.

"Um... sinks backed up, there's rats in the basement" Jenny pauses and shakes her head "I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain".

Dean shakes his head to show that he's not offended "no. Have you seen the rats or have you just heard scratching?"

Jenny frowns ever so slightly "it's just the scratching, actually".

The little girl, Sari, pipes up "mom?" Jenny kneels down "ask them if it was here when they lived here".

"What, Sari?" Sam asks.

"The thing in my closet".

"Oh, no, baby, there was nothing in their closets" she looks to Sam and Dean "Right?"

"Right. No, no, of course not" Sam says.

Ben decides to join the conversation, "I sometimes think there's things in my closet...but there isn't".

From the studying that both he and Alec have done to try and assimilate into the world, they found that it was a normal thing for children of their age to believe that 'monsters' lived under the bed or in the closet. Ben had no idea why, it was completely ridiculous. If a monster wanted them, it would just burst in and grab them.

Alec wants to sigh at the childish fear. However, he just focuses on his milk instead. Even though he knew that monsters were real, none of them hide in children's closets to scare them. This wasn't Monsters Inc. So why children would create something in their minds and be frightful off it...Alec didn't understand.

And yes, he and Ben have watched Monsters Inc. They had watched quite a few children's films at Dean's insistence. One of the first one's they watched was the Disney film 'The AristoCats'... Two guesses why Dean chose that one for them.

The joke was on him though cause both boys actually enjoyed the film, and it had hyped them up. So, Dean had to deal with to hyper transgenics.

"She had a nightmare the other night" Jenny explains.

Sari shakes her head "I wasn't dreaming. It came into my bedroom... and it was on fire".

Both Sam and Dean had frozen in shock, but luckily it doesn't last long enough for Jenny to notice. Both of them wondering whether this could actually be it?

Ben and Alec glance at each other. Fire from a demon was what killed Sam and Dean's mother. The childish fear just took a very real turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this is the first chapter for this episode. I hope you enjoyed reading it.   
> Please kudos and bookmark. Leave reviews, cause they really encourage me to write more chapters. Also, let me know if you have any ideas on how to make the story better for you to read if you feel like something is missing for you.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	16. Home (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is part 2 for this episode, this will be a 3 part episode so next week will have the last part.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 16.  
Episode 9 (Home).

The transgenic twins follow the Winchester brothers out of their old house and back to the Impala.

"You hear that? A figure on fire" Sam says.

Dean sighs, he really didn't need this, "and that woman, Jenny, that was the woman in your dreams?"

"Yeah. And you hear what she was talking about? Scratching, flickering lights, both signs of a malevolent spirit".

"Yeah, well, I'm just freaked out that your weirdo visions are comin' true" Dean waves his arms around, trying not to show his panic.

"Well, forget about that for a minute. The thing in the house, do you think it's the thing that killed Mom and Jessica?"

"I don't know!" Dean exasperates.

"Well, I mean, has it come back or has it been here the whole time?" Sam presses.

"Or maybe it's something else entirely, Sam, we don't know yet".

"Well, those people are in danger, Dean. We have to get 'em out of that house".

"And we will" Dean leans over the Impala.

"No, I mean now" Sam says.

Alec raises one of his eyebrows and almost perfectly copies one of Sam's bitch-faces. How the hell were they supposed to convince Jenny to leave the house, without getting the cops called on them? Thankfully his brother openly asks that question.

"And how are you going to do that? Have you got a story that she's gonna believe, because I don't think she'll believe us when we say she's got to leave because a ghost is trying to kill her and her children" Ben points out and Dean gestures towards the child, showing that Ben said what he was going to say.

Sam sighs "then what are we supposed to do?"

* * *

 

Alec and Ben wonder around the gas station, stretching their legs while Sam and Dean chat about the case. Of course, both clones could still hear the conversation. Alec turns to Ben when he hears his brother sigh.

"What?"

"You felt it to, right?" Ben asks, "Dean? At the motel, on the way to the house, at the house..."

Alec nods "yeah, he was anxious. Still is. The anxiety is radiating off him".

"I don't like it" Ben frowns.

Alec just twists his mouth, but stays silent. He didn't like it either. This whole case made Dean un-easy, so he was un-easy. His anxiety was peaking because Dean's scent was overwhelmed with how anxious he was. Alec didn't know yet, whether this was  _the_ demon or not, but he wanted this case over.

The silence settles over the young brothers, as they listen into the older brother conversation. Their interest picking up when the subject of the night that the Winchester's mother died, comes up. It was something they hadn't heard much of. No one liked to talk about it, and neither boys pushed for any information... but that didn't mean that they weren't curious.

Dean sighs, and the boys she him shrugging his shoulders "not much. I remember the fire... the heat... And then I carried you out the front door".

"You did?"

"Yeah, what, you never knew that?"

"No".

"And, well, you know Dad's story as well as I do. Mom was... was on the ceiling. And whatever put her there was long gone by the time Dad found her".

"And he never had a theory about what did it?"

"If he did, he kept it to himself. God knows we asked him enough times".

Alec rolled his eyes, that sounded like John. They may have only known the man for a few months, but the boys quickly grasped Johns personality. Hot-headed and stubborn.

Pausing for a second, Alec thinks the nods... yeah, hot-headed and stubborn runs in the family. Ben was stubborn and he was hot-headed.

Sighing loudly, Alec tunes back out of the conversation and walks over towards the bathroom.

Ben sighs. This was such a horrible situation.

First off, Dean was clearly having to do something that he didn't want to, and that didn't make Ben feel all that great. Second, it's just plain cruel for this thing to go after Jenny and her kids... she was a nice person, and Suri was pretty nice too... for a girl. Then again, when have the supernatural ever been not cruel.

Then third... technically, Mary was their mother. Ben wasn't sure what to make of that. Sure, he and Alec knew that, as Dean's clones, that Mary was their mother... but he never really thought about it till now. He had Dean, Sam and John... what would it be like to have a woman in their lives...a mother?

Ben looks up out of his thoughts when he hears boots on the ground. He sees Dean walking off in the direction of the bathroom, and Sam climbing back into the Impala. Ben decides to join him, as it looks like they'll be leaving.

Alec reaches out for the door handle, about to leave the bathroom, when he hears John's voice... or his voicemail. He quietly leans against the door as the voicemail ends in the beep.

"Dad?" Alec hear's Dean say "I know I've left you messages before. I don't even know if you'll get 'em" he hear's Dean clear his throat... in Alec's opinion, it almost sounded like Dean was struggling to talk, "But I'm with Sam and the boys. And we're in Lawrence. And there's somethin' in our old house. I don't know if it's the thing that killed Mom or not, but..." Alec hear's Dean's voice waver and crack slightly, "...I don't know what to do" Alec could barely hear it, but it was there... Dean was crying. That scared Alec... Dean never cried, it was a part of the whole no 'chick-flick' moments.

"I don't know what to do dad... I... I need you. I can't do this hunt alone, and I'm messing everything up with the twins... I messed up with them dad, I don't know how to fix it... Ben... he seems okay, for now... but Alec, he barely talks to me... I broke him and I don't know how to fix him... I need your help. I can't do this, I thought I had this whole parent thing down... but-but I broke my kids. I can't handle this, any of this... the boys and mom... I just... Whatever you're doin', if you could just get here. Please. I need your help, Dad".

Alec hear's the phone snap shut and Dean clear his throat. His eyes widen as he hears Dean step closer to the door, so he quickly steps behind the door as it opens and quietly blurs out before the door shuts or Dean sees him.

Alec walks quickly, scraping his feet along the ground, making his way to the Impala. His mind reeling from everything he overheard.

He knew things weren't great ever since the  _shifter_ , but he didn't realise just how upset Dean was over it. Then again, it shouldn't surprise him that he didn't know, Dean's not exactly known for talking about his feelings.

That stupid shifter... it has ruined everything and turned him into a weak, pathetic transgenic that would have been killed during training, had they still been at Manticore.

Dean had sounded so... shattered, it made Alec feel so bad... why could he be alright so that Dean didn't feel upset? Dean wasn't the one messing things up, it was him. He was bad... and now he was making everything around him go bad.

No. Alec wasn't going to let everything go bad. Sam, Dean, John and Ben were too good to ruin.

Alec clambered into the back of the Impala, without a word, and settles into his seat. Still deep in thought, Alec picks up one of his army men, and twirls it around in his hand.

...wait, in Dean's message to his father... he called him and Ben his 'kids'... That was a private message, he didn't have to do that... So, why did he?

He jumps slightly as Dean's door opens and the man slides into the Impala. Alec turns his attention back to his army man. He was going to fix Dean, because Dean was good... he-he wasn't the shifter... Dean  _is_ good.

* * *

 

Ben looks around the house, "so... John visited this lady...and she's supposed to be a psychic".

"Yeah, supposedly" Dean says.

The four Winchesters are sitting on the couch, Ben having to sit on Dean's lap, and Alec squashed on the end. Alec wasn't in the mood for some crazy old lady, selling them a bunch of 'psychic' crap. He has more important things to focus on. Like how to make Dean happy.

Getting pulled out of his thoughts yet again, Alec and the others turn their attention towards voices coming into view. A woman, he presumes is Missouri, escorting a man out of the house.

"All right, there. Don't you worry 'bout a thing. Your wife is crazy about you" Missouri says to the man and her thanks her as she closes the door. She slightly turns to them and sighs, shaking her head "whew. Poor bastard. His woman is cold-bangin' the gardener".

Ben and Alec tilt their heads. What was she banging the gardener with?

Dean crosses his eyebrows in confusion "why didn't you tell him?"

"People don't come here for the truth. They come for good news".

Ben was pretty sure some people come for the truth... and if she didn't tell others the truth, why should they believe her-

"Because sweetheart, you lot know what's really out there. You  _want_  and need the truth" Missouri says.

Ben's eyes widen... heck... how did she do that? However, before Ben could ask anything Missouri continues.

"Now. Sam and Dean, kittens, come on already, I ain't got all day" she leaves the room.

All the Winchesters exchange completely confused looks, Alec and Ben feeling a little on edge. She had just called them 'kittens'. How could she know? Was she actually a psychic?

Ben slowly and un-easily lowers himself from Dean's lap to allow Dean to get up. The double set of brothers then walk into the next room where Missouri was waiting for them. The twins deciding to stay behind the bigger men, while they assess the situation.

"Well, lemme look at ya" she chuckles "oh, you boys grew up handsome, "she points her finger at Dean "and you were one goofy-lookin' kid, too".

Dean glares at Missouri, while Sam smirks. Ben and Alec snort slightly and Dean turns to them.

"You're my clones. If i was goofy looking, what's that say about you two" he smirks slightly, as Alec first looks offended, then a little horrified, and then seems to decide on just pouting with his arms crossed. That was the old Alec that Dean knew.

Missouri bends down and takes the boys hands, "I'm so sorry that the start of your lives was so horrendous" Ben and Alec's eyes widen, but Missouri continues, "you have no reason to think of me as a threat, I promise. I'm just here to help" she looks at Alec for a moment, before standing up and turning to Sam.

The boys share a look, she differently had to be a real psychic.

"Sam" she now grabs his hands "oh, honey... I'm sorry about your girlfriend...and your father, he's missin'?"

"How'd you know all that?" Sam asks

"Well, you were just thinkin' it just now".

"Well, where is he? Is he okay?" Dean interjects.

"I don't know" Missouri shrugs.

"Don't know? Well, you're supposed to be a psychic, right?"

"Boy, you see me sawin' some bony tramp in half? You think I'm a magician? I may be able to read thoughts and sense energies in a room, but I can't just pull facts out of thin air" Missouri rants at Dean before sitting down, "sit, please".

Sam smirks at his brother as they sit down, it was quite an amusing sight watching Missouri essentially tell his brother off like he was a child. Neither of the twins were sure how to regard Missouri. Alec didn't like the fact that she could basically read his mind, and Ben wasn't happy with her going off on Dean, it was funny the first time... but now he didn't like it. Both of them, however sat down between Sam and Dean, without a word.

"Boy, you put your foot on my coffee table, I'm 'a whack you with a spoon!" Missouri snaps at Dean.

Ben glared at Missouri, not caring if she was reading his mind.

"I didn't do anything" Dean protests.

"But you were thinkin' about it".

Dean does his best not to glare at that infuriating woman, while Sam smiles.

Getting back on topic, Sam starts the conversation "okay. So, our dad, when did you first meet him?"

"He came for a reading. A few days after the fire. I just told him what was really out there in the dark. I guess you could say... I drew back the curtains for him.

"What about the fire? Do you know about what killed our mom?" Dean asks.

Missouri nods, "a little. Your daddy took me to your house. He was hopin' I could sense the echoes, the fingerprints of this thing".

"And could you?" Ben pipes up quietly, "sense the thing?"

"I..." Missouri shakes her head.

Alec wants to roll his eyes. Yes, please do keep us hanging. He squirms slightly when Missouri looks at him.

"What was it?" Sam asks.

"I don't know. Oh, but it was evil" Missouri sighs and looks between all of the boys, "so... you think somethin' is back in that house?"

"Definitely".

"I don't understand" Missouri almost mutters.

"What?"

"I haven't been back inside, but I've been keepin' an eye on the place, and it's been quiet. No sudden deaths, no freak accidents. Why is it actin' up now?"

"I don't know. But Dad going missing and Jessica dying and now this house all happening at once... it just feels like something's starting".

Dean sighs "that's a comforting thought".

Why? Just, why? He couldn't handle this. He just wanted to get everyone into the Impala, drive away and forget this whole hunt... But, noooo. Sam just has to have some freaky visions that come true, and of course, he couldn't let innocent people get hurt.

Life hated him... that's why. That has to be it. He was getting punished for some reason.

It was like... He had been climbing up a mountain and was nearly at the top, but some rocks came loose and he fell  _all_  the way back down. Then life decides, just to be that bit more of a dick, to let a few rocks come tumbling down and hit him while he's still down.

Dean just wants everything to go back to the why it was before this hunt, before the shifter... hell before Sam found out the truth about the twins... Back when he didn't have to come back to this town and that house, without his mom. Back when his boys were happy and Sam was back with him, and he was a dad.

* * *

 

As the five of them make their way towards the former Winchester's house, both clones can feel Dean's slightly un-easiness. Ben being Ben, was already holding on to one of Dean's hands. So, Alec takes a deep breath, and reaches for Dean's other hand. This was the first time that  _he_ had instigated the hand holding, and it was a touch uncomfortable, but not as panic inducing as Alec thought it would be.

Dean was shocked to say the least, but shocked in a good way. He squeezes the boys hand ever so slightly, before relaxing his grip and making it casual. He didn't want to make Alec nervous.

Reaching the door, Sam knocks on it, noticing his brothers' hands were full. After a few moments, Jenny opens the door with Ritchie in her arms, looking slightly flustered.

"Sam, Dean, what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Jenny. This is our friend, Missouri" Sam says.

"If it's not too much trouble, we were hoping to show her the old house. You know, for old time's sake".

"You know, this isn't a good time. I'm kind of busy" Jenny goes to shut the door.

"Listen, Jenny, it's important" as soon as Dean says that Missouri smacks him on the back of his head, "Ow!"

Both Ben and Alec growl at her quietly, but no one hears them as Missouri talks.

"Give the poor girl a break, can't you see she's upset?" she turns to Jenny, "forgive this boy, he means well, he's just not the sharpest tool in the shed, but hear me out".

"About what?" Jenny asks.

"About this house".

"What are you talking about?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about. You think there's something in this house, something that wants to hurt your family. Am I mistaken?"

Ben looks at Missouri... didn't she just hit Dean for being insensitive? Yet, now here she is telling the women that something in the house is trying to hurt her kids. Sure, she had a nicer tone then what Dean was using... but still, it's a tiny bit hypocritical. Or maybe he's a little biased...

"Who are you?" Jenny looks between them.

"We're people who can help, who can stop this thing. But you're gonna have to trust us, just a little"

Jenny clearly looks unsure, but eventually she sighs and lets them in.

"Your daughter said something about a figure on fire in her room, it's probably best to look in there first" Sam says.

Jenny nods and silently leads them to a pink room. Alec face scrunches up in disgust, it was far to...  _everything,_  for his liking. It was fluffy and pink and girly... there were dolls and stuff. It was like they walked into a nightmare. No wonder the fire figure was in here... he was trying to burn this monstrosity down.

Ben look around the room. He was torn with wondering what it would be like to have a room of his own to decorate, and wondering why girls liked pink so much... blue was so much better. I mean... hello, even the Blue Lady was blue.

Jenny pauses outside of the room for a moment, before saying "I'll leave you to it" and she walks away.

Missouri nods, "If there's a dark energy around here, this room should be the center of it".

"Why?"

"This used to be your nursery, Sam. This is where it all happened".

Sam glances up at the ceiling and both clones feel the need to have a peak at the ceiling too. Dean on the other hand, decides to distract himself by pulling out his EMF meter.

It was bad enough being in this town, and this house... but now, being in this room. The room where... He wasn't going to look at that ceiling. He didn't want to see where... where she died.

"That an EMF?" Missouri asks Dean, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Yeah".

"Amateur".

Dean glares at the back of her head, as he nudges Sam to show him that the EMF is beeping frantically.

Missouri sighs "I don't know if you boys should be disappointed or relieved, but this ain't the thing that took your mom".

"Wait, are you sure?" Sam asks, and Missouri nods

"How do you know?" Ben looks at her.

"It isn't the same energy I felt the last time I was here. It's somethin' different".

"What is it?" Dean asks.

"Not it" Missouri opens the closet, "them. There's more than one spirit in this place".

Alec closes his eyes and sighs. That's just awesome... They get their butt's kick by just the one spirit.

"What are they doing here?"

"They're here because of what happened to your family. You see, all those years ago, real evil came to you. It walked this house. That kind of evil leaves wounds. And sometimes, wounds get infected".

Sam shakes his head "I don't understand".

"This place is a magnet for paranormal energy. It's attracted a poltergeist. A nasty one. And it won't rest until Jenny and her babies are dead".

"You said there was more than one spirit".

"There is. I just can't quite make out the second one".

"Any chance it could be Casper?" Alec asks, with little hope for a friendly ghost.

Missouri smiles at him, "I doubt it sweetie".

Dean sighs "well, one thing's for damn sure... nobody's dyin' in this house ever again" like hell was he having any kind of repeat of 20 years ago. It didn't matter that it wasn't the demon that killed mom... he wasn't losing anyone else in this damn house. He turns to Missouri, "so whatever is here, how do we stop it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I hope that I've written Dean well and in character.  
> Kudos and bookmark if you like my story so far, and feel free to leave comments.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	17. Home (part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the last chapter for episode 9.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 17.  
Episode 9 (Home).

The group of five are sitting around Missouri's table, as they had come back from the old Winchester's house, to prepare themselves. On the table, there are a collection of different herbs and roots. The older two Winchester's and Missouri are putting the herbs into bags, while the younger Winchester's are sat on the sofa drinking their milk, while watching the others.

Dean had already made it clear to the boy's, that they will  _not_  be joining them on the hunt. They will be waiting in the car till it's over. He didn't want his boys to be anywhere near whatever that thing is, he was not going to risk them. Luckily, neither boy put up a fight about it, even if they did look a little miffed by it.

"So, what is all this stuff, anyway?" Dean turns from his boys to look at Missouri.

"Angelica Root, Van Van oil, crossroad dirt, a few other odds and ends".

Dean nods, "yeah? What are we supposed to do with it?"

"We're gonna put them inside the walls in the north, south, east, west corners on each floor of the house".

"We'll be punchin' holes in the dry wall. Jenny's gonna love that".

Missouri gives Dean an even stare "she'll live".

"And this'll destroy the spirits?" Sam asks.

"It should. It should purify the house completely. We'll each take a floor. But we work fast. Once the spirits realize what we're up to, things are gonna get bad".

Ben and Alec both narrow their eyes ever so slightly, and tilt their heads to the side. Both boy's making note that Missouri only said that it should work… not that it  _will_  work.

* * *

 

Dean pulls up in front of the old house. Sam and Missouri almost immediately climb out of the Impala. Dean pauses to turn to the twins, both are sitting quietly in the back, but Dean could see that the quietness was them just being anxious.

"I'll come and get you guys once we've sorted this thing" Dean says, "Do not leave this car till I come for you. I mean it".

"I promise we won't" Ben says and Alec nods.

"I…" Dean cuts himself from finishing that sentence. It was a sentence that had a word in, that he had only said a handful of times since his mother death.

The twins look at him, tilting their heads. Dean sighs, it wasn't the right time. So instead, Deans says, "I'll be back soon".

And with that Dean gets out of the Impala and follows Sam and Missouri to the house.

Both boys watch them go, and both have the same unsettling feeling in the pit of their stomachs.

Ben sighs, "I don't like this".

Alec bites his lip, his eyes on the door, "me either".

Resting his elbows on the side of the door, Ben stares at the house where Dean and Sam once lived. He watches as they walk into the house and a few minutes later, Jenny and her children come out.

Ben was a solider, even if Dean insisted that he wasn't one anymore. He had been made and trained a solider… he shouldn't be feeling the fear that was pounding around in his body. His mind shouldn't be consumed with worry.

…but he was filled with fear and worry, and he hated it. Ben hated feeling like this. It made him useless.

He was ashamed to admit that there were a few times that he felt like this. Back at Manticore, when Jack disappeared and never came back, when they were escaping and hiding from Manticore.

When they had first met Dean and John.

…well, he wasn't so worried to start with. Ben knew he and Alec could have easily taken them… however, when the guns came out and John had started barking at them, just like Manticore did… That had made him uneasy… … …

_Ben and Alec are currently being pushed into a motel room by an old, gruff man, with a younger man shutting the door behind them. The younger man… he smelled a little like them. He wasn't from Manticore, he didn't smell or look like Manticore… yet he still had a similar smell to them._

_They were guided to a bed and the old man barked at them to sit. Both boys did as they were told. It was a command, they listened to commands, listening to commands had been drilled into their heads. If it wasn't for the way this man looked, he could have been a Manticore solider from the way he just barks out orders._

_Both boys had already marked all exits out of the room within a minute of stepping into. The twins shared a look, communicating with each other with their eyes. Now that they weren't in public, if and when needed they could easily take down these two men and escape. However, they were both a little curious about what the men wanted, since their reaction was odd. So, they were willing to wait this out for now._

_The old man stayed stood and blocking the door. Arms folded across his chest and his face hardened. Why he looked constipated, the twins didn't know. The other man sits down next to the table, his head in his hands briefly, before sitting up and looking at them._

_And that's when the twins got their first real look at his face. Both of their face scrunched up slightly… he kinda looked like on older them. Ben turned to Alec, his eyes widening slightly. Alec flickered his eyes to Ben._

… _It couldn't be… surely? There was no way that they could have possible ran into their DNA donor. It was one in a million… maybe even one in a billion chance that they'd run into the person that gave them their human DNA._

… _He smelled similar to them… he looked like an old them… Same eyes, freckles… At least Alec could sigh in relief that, if he was their DNA donor, that when he got old, he'd still be damn adorable._

_A throat clears and the twins snap their gaze to the old man. He shares a look with the younger man, who is now looking a little white._

_Alec huffs in annoyance, he was getting sick of the silence, these guys needed to hurry up or he was going to bounce. Ignoring the look of warning from his brother, Alec does, what Alec normally does… He opens his mouth._

" _Look old dude, are you going to explain why you dragged my brother and I here, which by the why is kidnapping, or are you going to continue standing in silence?"_

_The old man's stare hardens even more, while the younger man's eyes pop out slightly. However, before the old man could say anything, the younger, possible DNA donor, beats him to it._

" _What… Uh, what are your names"._

_Alec now decides to button up, but Ben answers for them anyway._

" _I'm Ben, this is Alec, my broth-"._

_Alec butts in, "and who are you?"_

_The young man briefly looks at the old man, before answering "I'm Dean, and that's my dad, John"._

_Alec nods in satisfaction._

" _And… how old are you?" Dean asks._

_Both boys pause for a moment. That was a tricky question, as Manticore wasn't exactly one to celebrate birthdays. Hell, they didn't even know what a birthday was until about a month after they escaped, when they came across a birthday party that was happening out on a field that had some poorly designed training structures._

_They knew that they had evaluations twice a year, but of course, they couldn't remember ones from when they were babies. This meant they had to make a calculated guess as to their age._

"… _uh" Ben squints, "8, I think"._

" _You think?" John's gruff voice speaks up._

" _Well, we could be 9… or 7… Figured it's best to go in the middle" Alec shrugs._

_Dean looks at the boys with an expression that neither transgenic understood._

" _You don't know how old you are?" Dean asks, "When's your birthday?"_

" _Don't have one" Ben says quietly._

_Now he was getting nervous. Ben didn't think it was too much of a deal, not knowing his age or not having a birthday… but it seems like it is a big deal now. Alec could feel his twin's apprehensiveness, he could tell Ben was doing what Ben did best, worry. Then again, he was also getting a little uneasy._

" _What… Your mother, what's her name. Where is she?" the older version of them asks, giving them a once over, probably just noticing the fact that they were looking a little scruffy. Dirt smudges all over and clothes that didn't fit._

_The twins frown and shrug. They knew that there had been a mother… well she wouldn't have been a mother, more like a mixing pot or an oven. What's happened to her since they had been born… They have no idea. Knowing Manticore, she was probably no longer alive._

" _Don't have one of those either" Alec answers because he can feel Ben start to get even more anxious. He grabs his twins hand, "look can we leave, please. See, I even asked nicely"._

" _Just… just hold on a moment" Dean says, he looks like he was almost struggling with what he wants to say, "are you living on the streets?"_

" _No! I asked nicely. Now I'm telling you. Let us leave" Alec growled, ignoring Dean's question as he stood from the bed._

" _Sit down and shut up" John barked once again._

_Alec being Alec, was prepared to tackle the man and took a step towards him, readying himself to do just that, when Ben pulls him back to the bed._

" _Do you know anything about your mother… or, uh" Dean swallows and looks a little pale again, "or your father?"_

_Now it makes sense. The twins shared a look, the men thought that they were Dean's kids._

_Which now just confirms the DNA donor thing. John would have thought they looked like Dean as a child, which is why he dragged them here and started to question them._

" _Look, I know what you're thinking, but you're not are father. We don't have one" Alec says, standing up and pulling Ben with him._

" _If you don't have father, how do you know that I'm not him?"_

" _Trust us. We don't have parents" Ben says. He just wanted to get out of this stupid town._

" _Now, you're going to let us leave, or else" Alec growls again._

_Dean raises an eyebrow and smirks as he stands and steps closer to the twins, "look Kiddo-"._

_That was all Dean could say before he was on the ground. His face exploded with pain from a punch that no regular child should have been able to deliver._

_Before Ben or Alec could take a step to the door, John pulls out a gun and points it at them. They pause, trying to recalculate and decide their next move. That gun was an unexpected move. That gun was a flashback to Manticore._

" _What the hell are you? You're not demons, so what? Some new type of Shapeshifters?" John narrowed his eyes at the them, as Dean got up and pulled out his gun. However, he was slightly hesitant about pointing it at the children._

_Ben tilted his head and frowned. What was a Shapeshifter? Someone who could move shapes? And what is a demon? These guys didn't seem normal anymore._

" _A what?" Alec scrunches up his face, "what the heck is a Shapeshifter?"_

_Ben says in a quiet voice towards his twin, "well, if the name is anything to go by, I would guess someone who can move shapes, which I suppose translates to maybe moving objects…"._

" _Well… I can move objects at your faces by throwing them if you want" Alec shrugs at the men._

" _Don't play stupid" John barks at them._

" _He's not playing" Ben mutters and nods at Alec._

_Alec turns to his brother, his face in disbelief that Ben was actually doing a joke… at a time like this… He was rather proud of him, he was finally rubbing off on him._

_However, he just insulted him!_

" _Hey!" Alec pouts and Ben shrugs._

_Dean and John share a look that basically said, what the hell._

_John almost growls, annoyed at how similar these things were to his son, "what are you?"_

_Ben and Alec both look at each other, with worry in their eyes. How did these guys know they weren't human? Maybe they were something to do with Manticore… but, then again, if they were from Manticore, they wouldn't be asking them 'what they are'._

_So, who are these guys?_

" _What are we? What are you!" Alec was starting to get the 'backed in to a corner' feeling, and the never ended good, "Who are you, huh? Some new branch of Manticore? Well sorry to say but, we would rather die than get taken back!"_

" _What are you talking about?" John huffs._

" _What am I talking about? You're the one's talking about demons and shapeshafters"._

" _Shifters. Shapeshifters" Dean says looking at the little boys with his face, "What is Manticore? And why would you rather die, then go there?"_

" _None of your business!" Alec snaps, his heart rate picking up. Ben could tell his twin was going to start losing it soon, so he grabbed his brothers hand. Even though he was anxious himself, Ben put himself slightly in front of Alec._

_Dean could see the tension building, so he put his hands out in a 'I come in peace' way and spoke calmly to try and defuse the situation._

" _Okay, look. We have all clearly got a whole bunch of wires crossed, okay?" Dean's eyes flicker towards his father, communicating though their eyes._

_Ben scrunched his face up, "since when have we been talking about wires?"_

_John rubs his face in frustration._

" _Look" Dean says, and makes a show of putting his gun down on the table. He looks at John, who reluctantly puts his gun down, but still in his hand, "Okay, so everyone is nice and calm…ish"._

" _Can we go please" Ben asks. These guys were causing more issues than anticipated, and there were still Manticore soldiers in the town._

" _Just hold on okay, we just want to figure out, what the hell is going on" Dean says calmly, "Right, your names are Ben and Alec, and you're obviously twins. You believe that you are around 8 years old. So…" Dean paused, thinking of something to talking about to try and keep everything calm for just a bit longer, "Which one of you is the oldest?"_

" _I am" Ben says slowly, unsure about what Dean was doing._

_Alec rolls his eyes in annoyance, "only by like… well I don't know, but obviously not by much"._

_Dean nods, "okay, uh… so you don't have a mother? You've never had one?"_

" _No" Ben says._

" _So where have you been living?" John asks, in a voice that is as not aggressive as he could muster._

_Neither boys answer._

" _Is the Manticore thing, where you had been living?" Dean notices that at the word 'Manticore' both boys get a look of fear on their faces, "and I'm guessing it wasn't a nice place and you ran away?"_

" _You got no idea" Alec mumbles._

" _Look we really need to go before they find us" Ben stresses. They had been here far too long. They are going to be found._

" _Who? Manticore? They're here?" John narrows his eyes and looks out the window._

" _We can help you" Dean says._

" _You don't get it! You can't help us, they'll just kill you because you're normal and in the way of us" Ben cries in frustration, "we need to leave now"._

" _We're normal? And this Manticore isn't? Cause Kiddo, I gotta tell you, we're pretty good at dealing with things that aren't normal" which quickly reminds the older men of the fact that the children can throw a punch harder than a grown man._

" _You haven't dealt with anything like us before" Alec says sticking his chin in the air._

" _And what are you?" John says, his hand tightening around the gun in his hand._

" _You wouldn't believe us" Ben says before his brother could say or do anything that could get them killed._

" _Try us" John stares at the twins._

_They look at each other and have a silent argument between them… … …_

Obviously, the argument ended with them having to tell John and Dean about them, and then all of them driving out of the town, luckily without any Manticore soldiers finding them.

But, back to the subject at hand. Fear. The constant nagging fear that both of them had felt during that day, until they had gotten out of the town, was the same gripping worry that filled both of them now… while they waited for Sam and Dean to walk back out of the house.

Ben was broken from his thoughts when Alec's hand wraps around his. Ben squeezes Alec's hand back, as he could see that Alec was started to panic.

"They'll be out any minute now" Ben says, trying to reassure himself as well as Alec.

And as luck would have it, only a few moments after Ben had said those words, Dean came out of the house. The clones let out a sigh of relief, before they both scramble out of the Impala and barrel into Dean's legs.

Dean couldn't be more relieved to see the boys as they got out the Impala and running towards him. Of course, because of their enhanced speed, they reached him before he could even comprehend that they had gotten out of the Impala, until he felt them impact against his legs.

Both of them. Alec too. His Buddy was currently wrapped around his right leg, with his Squirt on his left.

Dean ruffles the boy's hair and gives them a quick squeeze, before pulling them away.

"So, it all went good?" Ben asks.

"Yeah. Son of a bitch tried putting up a fight, but we got him" Dean grabs their hands and starts walking back towards the house.

* * *

 

Alec and Ben are sitting at the table in Jenny's currently messy kitchen. When Dean had said that Casper, the  _not_  friendly ghost, had put up a fight… he was not joking. Especially considering the knives stuck in the wall. Dean, Sam and Missouri are currently standing in the mess.

"You sure this is over?" Sam asks.

Missouri nods, "I'm sure. Why? Why do you ask?"

"Never mind" Sam sighs, "It's nothin', I guess".

The front door opens and Jenny's voice floats in, "hello? We're home", she walks into the kitchen and looks around in shock, "what happened?"

"Hi, sorry. Um, we'll pay for all of this" Sam looks around at the mess.

"Don't you worry. Dean's gonna clean up this mess" Missouri says and Dean looks at her, "well, what are you waiting for, boy? Get the mop" Dean begins to walk away "and don't cuss at me!"

Ben looks at Alec, who pouts but nods his head at his twin's unspoken words. They jump off of their chairs and follow after Dean to help him tidy up.

* * *

 

Sam and Dean are sat outside of their old house, in the Impala, with the twins asleep in the back.

"All right, so, tell me again, what are we still doin' here?" Dean sighs.

"I don't know. I just… I still have a bad feeling".

"Why? Missouri did her whole Zelda Rubenstein thing, the house should be clean, it should be over".

"Key word, 'should'" Alec mumbles from the back seat. He had been in that place between asleep and awake, but the chatting from the brothers had stopped him from drifting to full-sleepness.

Sam sighs "yeah, well… I just wanna make sure, that's all".

"Yeah, well, problem is I could be sleeping in a bed right now, as could you Bud. Go back to sleep" Dean points his finger at Alec before he slides down in his seat and closes his eyes for himself.

Sam looks up at Jenny's bedroom window and sees her screaming and banging against the window, just like his dream.

"Dean. Look, Dean!" Sam shouts.

Alec shoots back up, as does Dean and they both see Jenny.

"Stay" Dean barks, before he and Sam rush out of the Impala and run to the house.

Alec shakes Ben awake.

"What?" Ben rubs his eyes.

"Remember how Missouri said that it  _'should'_ work. Well guess what?" Alec says opening his door.

Ben knows instantly what was going on and follows his brother out of the Impala, "it didn't work".

"Of course, it didn't. Cause I mean… it working would have just been too easy" Alec throws his arms up in the air.

"Sam and Dean?" Ben asks, already knowing where they are.

"Inside, grabbing Jenny and the kids".

A moment later Dean and Jenny run out of the house. The twins run over and their hearing picks up a scream.

Sari comes running out of the house with Ritchie… but now Sam.

Dean kneels down to eye level with Sari and asks "Sari, where's Sam?"

"He's inside. Something's got him" Sari cries.

Before anyone can make a move towards the front door, it slams shut by itself… and just like that the fear was creeping its way back. Panic setting in.

Dean runs over to the trunk of the Impala, grabbing a rifle and an axe. Rushing back to the front door, he begins chopping away at door.

Ben and Alec could hear banging inside the house. It sounded like Sam was getting thrown around like a rag doll.

As soon as the hole was big enough, the twins dive through, ignoring Dean frantic shouts. They rush into the kitchen and see Sam being pinned against the wall, by some sort of invisible force, with the figure on fire standing in the corner. Before either boy could take another step, they get thrown against the cabinets.

"Leave them alone" Sam shouts.

"I really hate ghosts" Alec growls under his breath as Ben moans in agreeance.

The fire figure makes its way towards Sam, as Dean is finally able to get into the house.

"Alec, Ben? Sam?" he was going to kill, then hug those boys. He runs into the kitchen just as Alec and Ben are standing back up. He sees Sam and the fire figure. Dean quickly raises his gun and the twins stand next to him.

"No, don't! Don't!" Sam yells.

"What, why?!"

"Because I know who it is. I can see her now" Sam says staring at the fire figure.

However, the fire vanishes. Instead, standing in front of them is Mary Winchester. Alec and Ben's eyes widen. They had seen a few pictures of Mary, so they knew it was her. Plus, Dean's expression softens and lowers his gun. The twins had absolutely no clue as to what was going on, but it didn't matter… they could take their eyes off of her.

"Mom?" Dean says softly. She was just as beautiful as he remembers her.

Mary smiles at him and steps closer to him and the twins, "Dean".

Dean couldn't stop the tears that formed in his eyes. He barely even noticed them, as he was to focused on his mom. He was too afraid to stop looking at her, encase she disappeared.

Mary lowers her gaze to Ben and Alec, and smiles gently at them.

Alec felt his heart racing and Ben felt his lungs stop working, as she steps closer to them.

Mary strokes Alec's cheek once with the back of her hand, "Alec", she then strokes Ben's cheek also, "Ben".

Mary walks away from them and towards Sam, Dean and the twins don't take their eyes off her.

"Sam" Mary smiles, before it fades away, "I'm sorry".

"For what?" Sam asks.

She looks at him sadly, but says nothing. She walks away from them and looks up at the ceiling, "you get out of my house. And let go of my son".

Mary, once again, bursts into flames. When she is entirely engulfed, the fire reaches the ceiling and disappears. Whatever force that was holding Sam to the wall is gone and Sam is released. He walks over to Dean and the twins. The clones couldn't take their eyes off the spot the Mary had just disappeared from, while Sam and Dean share a stunned look.

"Now it's over" Sam sighs.

* * *

 

The next morning, Dean is standing by the Impala with Jenny, looking through old photos. Ben and Alec are standing on their tiptoes to get a look at them.

"Thanks for these" Dean says.

"Don't thank me, they're yours" Jenny says before she walks away.

"Wow… we look just like you" Alec mutters and Ben closes his eyes, trying to block out the stupid.

Dean just grins, "I guess that's being a clone for ya", he puts the trunk of photos into the Impala.

The twins look over to where Sam was sitting on the front steps, talking to Missouri. They easily hear the conversation.

"Well, there are no spirits in there anymore, this time for sure" Missouri says.

"Not even my mom?"

"No".

"What happened?"

"Your mom's spirit and the poltergeist's energy, they cancelled each other out. Your mom destroyed herself goin' after the thing".

"Why would she do something like that?"

"Well, to protect her boys, of course. Sam, I'm sorry".

"For what?"

"You sensed it was here, didn't you? Even when I couldn't".

"What's happening to me?"

"I know I should have all the answers, but I don't know" Missouri says before shaking her head, "you boys know it's not nice to eavesdrop on people's conversations".

Missouri then turns around and fixes the wide-eyed boys with and even stare.

"Damn, she's good" Alec mutters, now feeling a little nervous.

"Sorry" Ben says, looking red faced and ashamed.

Dean decides to interrupt, "Sam, you ready?"

Sam nods and walks over to the passenger's side, as Jenny thanks all of them.

"Don't you boys be strangers" Missouri waves.

"We won't" Dean starts the car.

"See you around" Missouri says, as Jenny waves goodbye as the Impala drives off.

As they drive off, the transgenics can't help but feel like they missed something. Not to do with the case, that was all done and over… It was something else… Something familiar almost. Neither boy could quite put their fingers on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another episode finished, yay! Next up: episode 10, Asylum.  
> Now, in a few episodes time, I'm planning on bringing in one of the X5's, because while the Winchester look for their dad, they are also supposed to be looking for any escapee's from Manticore. I hadn't really written anything about that yet, I had just been focusing on the Supernatural episodes, but I have not forgotten about the other X5's.  
> Anyway, please review, kudos and bookmark. It is all very appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	18. Episode 10, Asylum (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the first chapter of the next episode. Personally, for some reason, this was one of my favourite episodes in season 1.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 18.  
Episode 10 (Asylum).

Alec and Ben are sitting, cross-legged, next to each other on one of the beds, with Dean sat on the end of it. The trio are playing snap with a deck of cards. Of course, Dean is happily letting the boys fight over the title of winner, while he plays the loser.

Sam was sat on the other bed, on the phone talking to Caleb. The twins had heard names of other hunters that the Winchester's knew over the months that they had been with them. Especially more since John disappeared. They had never actually met any of them though.

"Snap!" Alec grins as he slaps down his matching card and pulls the deck towards himself.

Ben pouts at his deck, he couldn't lose to Alec. He couldn't! If he loses, Alec will not shut up and will spend the rest of the week bragging about his stupid win.

Dean just smiles at the boys, and ruffles Ben's hair in condolence. He was feeling great. Alec seems like he was mostly back to normal, as does everything else. Dean was just going to soak up these past few good days, because with his luck… shit would soon hit the fan.

Yes, he was just going to enjoy this time with his boys, before the next hunt comes around the corner.

"No, Dad was in California last we heard from him. We just thought… he comes to you for 'munitions… maybe you've seen him in the last few weeks" Sam was saying to Caleb, but clearly getting nowhere, just like with all the other hunters they had tried. "Just, call us if you hear anything. Thanks".

Dean looks up from the card game, "Caleb hasn't heard from him?"

"Nope. And neither has Jefferson or Pastor Jim. What about the journal? Were there any leads in there?"

"No, same as last time I looked" Dean shakes his head as he places a card down, "nothing I can make out… I love the guy, but I swear, he writes like friggin' Yoda".

"You know, maybe we should call the Feds. File a missing person's".

Dean sighs and looks at his brother, "we've talked about this. Dad will be pissed if we put the Feds on his tail".

"I don't care anymore".

The twins roll their eyes, but don't get involved. Sam had once again started getting annoyed over the fact that John was nowhere to be found. That meant that Dean was getting annoyed with Sam, because Sam was starting to be, as Dean calls it 'a whiny bitch'.

"Phone" Ben mumbles to Dean, as he hears his phone go off inside his bag.

Dean puts his cards down and crosses the room to his bag, rummaging through it.

"After all that happened back in Kansas, I mean… he should've been there, Dean. You said so yourself. You tried to call him and… nothing" Sam just doesn't know when to stop.

"I know!" Dean huffs, still rummaging through his duffle, "where the hell is my cellphone?"

"You know, he could be dead for all we know".

Alec and Ben freeze and look at each other. Was Sam looking for a punch? If he was he was going the right way about it. He was on dangerous ground.

Ben's heart rate picked up slightly… John wasn't dead. He couldn't be. The Blue Lady was looking after him and Dean said that he was fine, that they would find him. He can't be dead…

"John could be dead?" Ben looks up, wide eyed at Dean.

Dean quickly turns to the clones and tries to calm down the situation, "No, no. He's not. Of course he's not, Squirt", he was going to kill Sam. Turning to said brother, "don't say that! He's not dead! He's… he's...".

"He's what? He's hiding? He's  _busy_?"

"Maybe he is" Alec says, sticking his chin in the air, daring Sam to disagree. The card game now completely forgotten, "maybe he went to go see the biggest ball of yarn".

Dean, finally finding his phone, flicks it open to see a message, "huh. I don't believe it", he mutters.

"What?" Sam asks.

"It's, uh… It's a text message. It's coordinates" Dean walks over to the table, opens the laptop and begins typing in the coordinates.

Ben slides off the bed and wonders behind Dean to see the laptop screen, while Alec moves to the end of the bed watching.

"You think Dad was texting us?" Sam frowns.

"He's given us coordinates before" Dean shrugs.

"The man can barely work a  _toaster_ , Dean."

"Sam, it's good news! It means he's okay, or alive at least" Dean says and Ben smiles at that.

Of course John was okay… Dean promised that he would be and the Blue Lady was looking out for him. He had been over reacting.

"Well, was there a number on the caller ID?"

Dean shakes his head, "nah, it said 'unknown'."

"Where do the coordinates point?" Alec asks, shuffling all the cards back into the box.

"That's the interesting part. Rockford, Illinois".

"Ok, and that's interesting how?" Sam squints.

"I checked the local Rockford paper. Take a look at this" Dean turns the laptop around for Sam and Alec to see, "this cop, Walter Kelly, comes home from his shift, shoots his wife, then puts the gun in his mouth, blows his brains out. And earlier that night, Kelly and his partner responded to a call at the Roosevelt Asylum".

"Okay, I'm not following. What has this, have to do with us?"

"Dad earmarked the same asylum in the journal" Dean says, as Alec looks through John's journal. Finding the page needed, Alec pokes it, "here. Seven unconfirmed sightings, two deaths… well, until last week at least".

Dean nods, "I think this is where he wants us to go".

Sam rolls his eyes and snorts, "this is a job… Dad wants us to work a job".

"Well, maybe we'll meet up with him? Maybe he's there?"

"Maybe he's not? I mean, he could be sending us there, by ourselves, to hunt this thing".

"Who cares! If he wants us there, it's good enough for me!"

"This doesn't strike you as weird? The texting? The coordinates?"

Alec and Ben watch the tennis match, their eyes flicking back and forth between the fight brothers. Sadly, this was nothing new.

"Sam! Dad's tellin' us to go somewhere, we're  _goin_ " Dean says in his final, big brother tone, while Sam gives his usual bitchface and sighs in defeat.

* * *

 

The mini Deans' are both sat in the back of the Impala that was parked outside of a bar, while Sam and Dean are inside the bar, to try and get some information from Daniel Gunderson. He was the partner of the now dead cop, Walter Kelly. Obviously, the boys couldn't exactly join in on this part of the hunt, as it would look a bit weird for two 8-year-olds to walk into a bar late at night. So instead, they had to wait in the Impala.

The lamp from the bar providing little lighting for the twins. Alec is curled up on his side of the backseat with the blanket draped over him, lightly snoring away. Ben has the other half of the blanket over his legs, but instead of trying to sleep, he's sat up with a torch in one hand and a book in his other.

He wasn't really paying much attention to the book. Whenever it was just him, Ben finds himself drifting back to that night, just a couple of weeks ago. Back when they were at Sam and Dean's house… and Mary was there.

She was so beautiful, the photos of her now didn't seem to do Mary Winchester justice. She looked… almost like she was full of life, even though she had been long dead.

Ben couldn't help but think about what everything wouldn't have been like if Mary hadn't have died. For one thing; John, Sam and Dean wouldn't have become hunters… which would mean that they probably wouldn't have met him and Alec.

…Unless some twist of luck still brought them together...but then again, when was luck ever on their side?

Ben sighs, life just kind of sucks sometimes.

The sound of the door banging open, has Ben looking up and out the window, away from his thoughts. Dean comes wondering over to the Impala. Opening the passenger door, he sits down, with his legs and feet still planted on the ground.

"Did it go as planned?" Ben asks, closing his book, as Alec stirs awake.

"Yep" Dean sighs.

"Then what's wrong?" Alec pushes himself up.

"Nothin" Dean mutters, watching the bar's door.

Ben and Alec share a look. You didn't need to have their high IQ to know that 'nothin' was a load of bull. You also didn't need to have their IQ to know not to push Dean for the truth, cuz you will not get it.

You'll just get a pissed off Dean.

Dean and the boy's sit mostly in silence for around 10 or so minutes, till the door opens and Sam steps outside.

"Shoved me kinda hard in there, buddy boy" Dean says.

"I had to sell it, didn't I? It's method acting" Sam's tone almost sounded… hard.

The twins share another look.

"Huh?" Dean stands, arms crossed.

"Never mind".

"What'd you find out from Gunderson?"

"So, Walter Kelly was a good cop. Head of his class, even-keeled, he had a bright future ahead of him".

"Not anymore" Alec mutters and Ben gives him a glare, "what? It's morbid, but true".

Dean rolls his eyes, but ignores Alec comment, "what about at home?"

"He and his wife had a few fights, like everybody, but he was mostly smooth sailing. They were even talking about having kids".

"Alright, so either Kelly had some deep-seated crazy waiting to bust out, or something else did it to him".

"With our luck, it's the second one" Ben says.

Alec nods, "it's never the first one".

Sam nods, "right".

"What'd Gunderson tell you about the asylum?" Dean asks, walking around to the driver's side.

"A lot" Sam slides into his seat.

* * *

 

Before Sam and Dean even get half way over the tall chain fence, Ben and Alec have already beaten them and have their feet planted on the ground, on the other side.

"Wow… you're slow" Alec grins.

Dean rolls his eyes, "show offs".

"What? Me? A show off? How very dare you presume that. I'm the least show off-y person you'll ever meet".

Ben gave his twin the eyebrow raised, 'sure-you-are-you-compete-weirdo-please-shut-up' look.

"Uh huh" Dean responds before getting back to business, "right, because we aren't completely sure what kinda thing ghost we got here-".

"Stay behind you and Sam at all times" Alec interrupts, grabbing a flashlight.

"And do exactly what, I say when I say it" Ben finishes, grabbing the other flashlight.

"Yeah" Dean nods.

The four of them walk up to the door, and enter the asylum. The place was dark and dusty. Boards and things scattered around.

"So apparently the cops chased the kids here, into the south wing" Sam points to a sign over one of the doors.

"South wing, huh? Wait a second" Dean flips through John's journal till he finds the page he was looking for, "1972. Three kids broke into the south wing, only one survived. Way he tells it, one of his friends went nuts and started lighting up the place".

"So, whatever's going on, it's going on in the south wing" Ben says.

"But if the kids are sneaking into the asylum, why aren't there a ton more deaths?" Dean asks.

Sam looks around and notices a broken chain on the floor by the door, "looks like the doors are usually chained. Could've been chained up for years".

"Yeah, to keep people out. Or to keep something in".

"Well they could have done a better job" Alec mutters.

"This was back in the 70's" Ben says.

"And?"

Dean sighs, and shakes his head at the twins, before following Sam as he opens the south wing door. The four Winchester walk carefully down the hallway, as Dean pulls out the EMF.

"Let me know if you see any dead people, Haley Joel".

Sam glares at Dean, "dude, enough".

"I'm serious. You gotta be careful, all right? Ghosts are attracted to that whole ESP thing you got going on".

"I told you, it's not ESP! I just have strange vibes sometimes. Weird dreams".

"Yeah, whatever. Don't ask, don't tell" Dean waves his hand.

"You get any reading on that thing or not?" Sam says, attempting to change the subject.

"Nope. Of course, it doesn't mean no one's home".

"Spirits can't appear during certain hours of the day".

"Yeah, the freaks come out at night".

"And not just the supernatural kind" Ben says.

"Yes. And don't either of you forget that" Dean says, turning to the twins.

Sam looks at the three of them and shakes his head, continuing down the hall.

"Hey Sam" Dean winks at the twins, "who do you think is the hotter psychic: Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Hewitt, or you?"

Sam bitchfaces, while the twins and Dean laugh.

"Jerk" Sam mutters as he walks into another room.

"Bitch" Dean follows behind, before pausing and pointing at the twins, "don't repeat that".

Alec rolls his eyes, while Ben nods his head.

Dean excepts the non-verbal answers and walks into the room.

He whistles, "man. Electro-shock. Lobotomies. They did some twisted stuff to these people. Kinda like my man Jack in Cuckoo's Nest," he makes crazy eyes at the clones and they giggle, making Dean grin.

Sam ignores them and Dean's smile drops. Fine, if Sam was gonna be like that. It's not like they don't already have a couple of 8-year-olds with them, who as children, are allowed to act as children. No, they need Sam to act like a grumpy kid too.

Sighing, Dean and the others look around the room some more.

"So. Whaddaya think? Ghosts possessing people?" Dean questions.

Sam shrugs, "maybe. Or maybe it's more like Amityville, or the Smurl hunting".

"Spirits driving them insane. Kinda like my man Jack in The Shining" Dean grins, "That's definitely a movie that I'll get you boys to watch".

Sam turns to Dean with wide eyes, "Dean! They're 8!"

"I didn't mean now!" Dean defends himself, "I meant in a few years".

Alec pouts, "in a few years?"

"It's a bit scary for you guys".

"You do remember, secret government half-cat soldiers" Alec huffs.

Dean rolls his eyes and ruffles Alec's hair.

"Dean" Sam sighs, "when are we going to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"About the fact Dad's not here".

Uh oh… The twins cringe. Why must Sam keep bringing this up?

"Oh. I see. How 'bout… never".

"I'm being serious, man. He sent us here…" Sam sighs.

"So am I, Sam. Look, he sent us here, he obviously wants us here. We'll pick up the search later".

"It doesn't matter what he wants".

Oh, for crying out loud. Sam just doesn't know when to shut his mouth, Alec shakes his head.

"See. That attitude? Right there? That is why I always get the extra cookie" Dean exclaims.

Alec tilts his head... Mmh, cookies sound really nice right now. Warm cookies and warm milk.

"Dad could be in trouble, we should be looking for him. We deserve some answers, Dean. I mean, this is our family we're talking about" Sam says, his voice getting heated.

"I understand that, Sam, but he's given us an order".

"So what, we gotta always follow Dad's orders?"

"Of course we do".

Sam gives Dean a frustrated face. Dean stares for a second before he turns away, ending the conversation.

Ben nudges things around with his foot and picks up a sign, "Dean, look".

"Huh, 'Sanford Ellicott'… You know what we gotta do. We gotta find out more about the south wing. See if something happened here".

Dean walks away with the twins following behind him, leaving Sam no chance for another argument. Though it doesn't mean he didn't give his usual bitchface as Dean left.

* * *

 

Dean is currently leaning against the window next to the door, bored out of his mind, waiting for Sam to reappear. His brother was taking forever talking to the shrink, Ellicott.

The twins are also clearly bored, and Dean was sure that if Sam didn't walk out soon, the boys, Alec in particular, were going to get rowdy.

"Deeeeeeean" Alec moans.

Dean rolls his eyes for the fifth time since Sam had entered the building, "Yeeeeeeees?"

"I'm hungry" Alec says.

"And I'm Dean, nice to meet you" Dean says before he actually realises what just came out of his mouth. That was awful. He should be shot for that joke.

Alec growls in annoyance, "Dean".

"Alec" Ben warns his brother.

Sighing, Dean places his hand on Alec's head, "I know, I'm sorry Buddy. Look, once Sam's done getting the info, we'll head over to a diner and get some food".

Alec huffs but says nothing as he crosses his arms and pouts.

Ben rolls his eyes at his twin's behaviour. While he was also hungry, he didn't feel the need to act out like Alec was. Talk about Sam having an attitude problem.

"Dean?" Alec starts again.

"Yes" Dean sighs.

"Can I have a hamster?"

"Wh… Huh?" Dean looks down at the boy.

"A hamster. You know, tiny and fluffy. Kinda sharp teeth. Poops… I would like one".

"Let me guess, Robert for a boy, and Sally for a girl?" Ben rolls his eyes.

Alec eyes widen in hope, "Or! I can have one hamster and you can have one, then we'll have both Sally and Robert!"

Dean rubs his hands over his face, however he is saved from answering the child, as Sam walks out the door and passed them.

"Dude! You were in there forever. What the hell were you talking about?" Dean, and the twins, catch up to Sam's long strides.

"Just the hospital, you know" Sam shrugs, keeping it simple.

"And...?"

"And the south wing? It's where the housed the really hard cases. The psychotics, the criminally insane".

"Cool" Alec says and Ben looks at him, "…not cool".

"Yeah. And one night in '64, they rioted. Attacked staff. Attacked each other" Sam continues.

"So, the patients took over the asylum?" Dean asks.

Sam nods, "apparently".

"Where there any deaths?" Ben asks.

"Some patients, some staff. I guess it was pretty gory. Some of the bodies were never even recovered, including our chief of staff, Ellicott".

"Whaddaya mean, never recovered?" Dean gives Sam a questioning look.

"Cops scoured every inch of the place but I guess the patients must've… stuffed the bodies somewhere hidden".

"That's grim".

The clones agreed with Dean, that is kind of gross.

"Yeah. So, they transferred all the remaining patients and closed the hospital down".

Dean sighs, "so, to sum it up, we've got a bunch of violent deaths and a bunch of unrecovered bodies".

"And a bunch of angry spirits" Sam nods.

Well that was just a recipe for a bad time. Alec hoped that Dean would still let them in on the hunt since it was still a ghost hunt… just a multiple ghost hunt now.

"Good times. Let's check out the hospital tonight" Dean see's Alec about to open his mouth, so he quickly adds, "For now, we'll go grab some food, before the Kittens start scratching".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was okay, as you can see, our little Alec is pretty much back to normal. I'll get more into their thoughts and stuff in the next chapter though, don't worry.  
> Please kudos and bookmark my story if you are liking it.  
> Comments and reviews are always welcome too.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	19. Asylum (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys. Here is the last part of episode 10. I hope I added enough Ben and Alec involvement in it, and of course, that it's believable.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 19.  
Episode 10 (Asylum).

Later that evening, or night, as it was now, the foursome entered back into the asylum. Dean had been very reluctant in letting the twins tag along and had wanted them to stay in the Impala, however both clones had kicked up a fuss because it was a ghost hunt, and they were allowed on ghost hunts. Dean had then started saying how as it was more than one pissed off spirit, that it was too big of a hunt for them.

That only earned him raised eyebrows from both boys, and Alec repeating the usual sentence "What part of genetically enhanced killing machines, do you not understand?" To which Ben nodded in a silent agreement with his brother.

It ended with Dean telling them to just stay in the Impala, Alec stomping his foot on the ground because "it's a ghost! You said we could help on ghost hunts!" then turning around and saying that he and Ben would go in after them, and Ben saying it would be easier and safer for them all to go in together, instead of he and Alec following the older Winchesters inside…alone.

That got Dean into agreeing. The thought of Ben and Alec wondering alone in the asylum. Not happening. So, both boys are armed with a flashlight and an iron pipe each.

"Getting readings?" Sam asks Dean, who was holding the EMF meter.

"Yeah, big time".

"This place is orbing like crazy" Sam says, looking through the video recorder.

"Probably multiple spirits out and about".

"And if these uncovered bodies are causing the haunting…"

"We gotta find 'em and burn 'em. Just be careful though. The only thing that makes me more nervous than a pissed off spirit… Is the pissed off spirit of a psycho killer" Dean sighs.

Alec nods, "I can see why that would make you nervous. Psycho killers aren't known for being too friendly".

Ben turns to his brother with the 'are-you-kidding-me' face. While Dean says, "yeah, definitely not friendly. So, stay close".

The twin's nod, and take a small step closer to Dean as the group keep walking though the asylum.

* * *

 

Following just behind Dean, who was looking at the EMF meter, the twins slowly and evenly move their flashlights around the dark room.

Ben was slightly regretting not staying in the Impala. It wasn't that he was scared…it was more that the whole place was just giving him bad… vibes. Yeah that's it, bad vibes.

"Dean? Dean!" Sam's voice yells from another room.

Dean rushes to his brother, the boys right on his heels. Skidding into the room, they see an old lady with white hair and a bloody eye moving towards Sam.

"Sam, get down!" Dean shouts and Sam throws himself to the ground.

Shooting the ghost with the rock salt bullet, she disappears, and the group look around to make sure she didn't reappear.

"That was weird" Sam stands up.

"Yeah. You're telling me" Dean starts walking out the room.

Sam follows him, "no, Dean, I mean it was weird that she didn't attack me".

"Then why'd you scream for Dean?" Alec mutters under his breath so only Ben could hear, and as expected, Ben shots him a 'don't-say-that-out-loud' glare.

"Looked pretty aggro from where I was standing" Dean says.

"She didn't hurt me. She didn't even try! So, if she didn't wanna hurt me then what did she want?"

Before anyone can suggest anything, a quiet bang rings out from a room they were walking past. Dean holds up his hand and the twins know that's his sign for wait there. Sam and Dean slowly walk into the room, with Ben and Alec standing in the doorway. The older brothers creep towards a metal bed, and Sam reaches over it to find a blonde teenager crouching behind it. She spins around, terrified and ready to scream.

"It's alright, we're not going to hurt you. It's okay. What's your name?" Dean reassures the girl.

The twins, seeing that there appears to be no danger, shuffle into the room.

"Katherine. Kat" the girl, Kat stands up.

"Okay. I'm Dean, this is Sam" looking behind and seeing his boys, "and they are Ben and Alec".

"What are you doing here?" Sam asks

"Um. My boyfriend, Gavin".

"Is he here?" Dean hopes the answer is no, but knows better.

Kat nods, "somewhere. He thought it would be fun, try and see some ghosts. I thought it was all just…you know. Pretend. I've seen things. I heard Gavin scream and…".

"Alright. Kat? Come on. Sam's gonna get you out of here and then we're gonna find your boyfriend".

"No! No. I'm not going to leave without Gavin. I'm coming with you".

Really? Alec looked at her. She wants to stay in this ghost filled asylum to look for the guy that made her come here in the first place? Did she hit her head?

"It's no joke around here, okay. It's dangerous".

"That's why I gotta find him".

Sam and Dean look at each other, and Sam shrugs. Dean groans, why were people so damn stubborn and stupid sometimes? Always making it difficult to save them.

"Alright, I guess we gonna split up then. Let's go" Dean sighs.

Sam goes off by himself before Dean could suggest he take one of the boys with him. Man, he was being bitchy today…

"Come on Kittens" Dean says, walking out the room with Kat and into the hallway.

"My flashlight just died" Ben shakes his flashlight, hoping that it may do some help.

Dean takes the flashlight and also shakes it, "crap… shoulda' got some more batteries. It's been awhile since we had to put new one's in," Dean sighs, "well, we still got mine and Alec's for now".

Ben stands a little closer to Dean and gripped his iron pipe harder.

"Gavin... Gavin?" Kat calls out as the group makes their way down the hall.

"I got a question for ya. You've seen a lot of horror movies, yeah?" Dean asks.

"I guess so".

Dean turns and faces her, "do me a favour. Next time you see one? Pay attention. When someone says a place is haunted… don't go in!".

"And don't drink!" Alec adds, "killers in movies love going to parties were everyone's been drinking".

"And doing drugs" Ben speaks up, "then again, you shouldn't do drugs in general".

"Absolutely Squirt", Dean smirks, then pauses for a moment before turning to the boys, "please remember that when your older. Drugs are bad".

The twins nod.

"But we can drink though, right?" Alec asks.

"Of course… when you're 21" Dean says, completely serious.

Alec pouts, "I bet you drank before you were 21".

"Doesn't matter what I did or didn't do before I was 21, you won't be drinking till you're then. Now, shhh and concentrate".

Alec pokes his tongue out at Dean's back, which earns him a punch in his arm from Ben, "Ow!", he punches Ben back.

"Boys!" Dean turns around and points his finger at them, "Not now with the fighting. Alec, I want you this side of me, and Ben, this side".

Alec glares, but says nothing as he moves to Dean's right. Ben frowns, upset that he made Dean mad, and quickly moves to Dean's left.

They silence is awkward as they continue down the hallway. Dean's flashlight flickers off.

"You son of a bitch" Dean huffs, "it's alright, we still got Alec's".

Dean holds out his hand and Alec drop's the flashlight into it.

"Ow. You're hurting my arm" Kat moans.

"What are you talking about?" Dean frowns, he wasn't touching her, and the boys were right next to him.

They turn and look at each other, Dean lowering the flashlight down. They all see a disembodied hand is clutching Kat's arm.

Kat scream's as she is dragged into a room, the metal door slamming behind her. Dean, Alec and Ben race to it and attempt to pull it open, but it's jammed shut, even the twins can't budge it.

Kat bangs on the other side of the door "lemme out! Please!"

"Kat! Hang on!"

Alec pulls as hard as he can on the door handle with Ben, "Dean, we can't move it".

"Keep trying Bud", Dean says, looking around the hallway and picking up one of the iron pipes that the boys dropped as they are trying to open the door.

The twins continue to pull and push at the door, as Dean tries to jimmy it open.

Kat continues to scream and bang on the door, as Sam and Gavin appear and run down the hall to them.

"What's going on?" Sam asks.

"She's inside with one of them" Dean grunts, still trying to get the door open.

"Help me!" Kat screams.

"Kat!" Gavin yells.

Oh, so this was the boyfriend? Both Alec and Ben stop for a moment to look at the teen. Yeah… he looks like an idiot who'd ignore horror movie rules.

"Get me outta here!"

"Kat, it's not going to hurt you. Listen to me. You've got to face it. You've got to calm down" Sam says.

Dean's eyebrows shoot up, "she's gotta what?!"

"I have to what?!" Kat screeches.

"Did you bump your head?" Ben asks.

"These spirits, they're not trying to hurt us, they're trying to communicate. You gotta face it. You gotta listen to it" Sam ignores them.

"You face it!" Kat yells.

"No! It's the only way to get out of there".

"No!"

"Look at it, come on. You can do it".

Everything goes quiet, the scary kind of quiet. Ben and Alec lean on the door, ears pressed firmly against it, trying to hear what was going on.

"Kat?" Gavin says.

"Man, I hope you're right about this" Dean mutters.

"Yeah, me too" Sam sighs, and the twin's eyes go wide.

"You aren't even sure if that's what the ghosts want!" Ben exclaims, before pressing his ear back to the door.

"Not 100%" Sam mumbles.

"Anything?" Dean interrupts, and asks the twins.

"No" they both shake their heads.

A moment of tense silence later, and the locks of the door click, and the door slowly opens as the twins stand back.

"Oh, Kat" Gavin says as Kat stands in the doorway.

Sam gently moves around Kat to check the room, but comes out shaking his head.

"One thirty-seven" Kat whispers.

"Sorry?" Dean turns to her.

"It whispered in my ear. 137".

"Room number" both Sam and Dean say in sync.

They move to one side away from Kat and Gavin, to talk where they can't be over heard. The twins are keeping the teen's occupied, but can still easily hear Sam and Dean's conversation.

"Alright. So, if these spirits aren't trying to hurt anyone…" Sam say's in a hushed tone.

"Then what are they trying to do?"

"Maybe that's what they've been trying to tell us".

"I guess we'll find out".

"Alright".

Dean turns back around to face the group, "so, now, are you guys ready to leave this place?"

"That's an understatement" Kat says.

"Okay" Dean turns to Sam, "you get them outta here. I'm going to go find room 137. I'll take the boys with me".

* * *

 

Dean and the boys reach room 137. He pushes against the door, but it doesn't move. Dean sighs and steps back, indicating with a nod of his head for the boys to open the door. The twins push against the door with all their strength, and the door opens. The trio carefully walk into the mess of a room; filing cabinets pushed over, papers everywhere, the walls stained. Dean shines the torch around, crouching down to flick through some folders lying in a cabinet.

"Couldn't the ghosts be a bit more specific in what they want us to find" Alec groans.

He and Ben didn't need to the torch to look around the room, as they had their very handy night vision, courtesy of Manticore. However, finding something useful in this room was going to be difficult.

"I think we should just be happy that these ghosts haven't tried to kill us yet, and are trying to help us" Ben rolls his eyes at his brother.

Alec sighs and turns away from Ben. This was gonna take forever. He kneels down next to a different cabinet and starts looking through those files, "what are we even looking for Dean?"

"Anything that can tell us why these spirits are making people go crazy, or where we can find the bodies" Dean sighs standing up, moving the flashlight around.

Dean narrows his eyes and tilts his head. He walks over towards the wall and taps around. Ben and Alec pause their looking to watch Dean as he finds a loose panel, and pries it off. Behind it is a bag full of papers.

"This is why I get paid the big bucks" Dean grins at the twins, as he pulls out the bag.

The twins gather around Dean as he sits down in a chair and pulls out a journal from the bag.

"Those don't look very friendly" Alec says uneasily, looking at the hand-drawn pictures of medical instruments.

He and Ben knew what those instruments where used for… Hell, a few of those instruments had been used on them back at Manticore.

Ben felt his stomach drop, those pictures made him feel sick. He took a step back and turn away from the journal. He felt sorry for all of Dr Ellicott's patients.

DEAN pulls up a chair and starts reading, looking concerned.

"Well, all work and no play, makes Dr. Ellicott a very dull boy" Dean mutters a he skimmed through the notes.

The three off them look up when they hear a… almost like a whooshing sound.

"Ok, time to go" Dean says standing up.

"But Dean-" Alec starts.

"No, I've let you stay so far, but now I want you out of here before Ellicott shows up. He is not a good guy. Plus, I need to update Sam on what we've got".

Alec glares, but says nothing. He'll pitch up a fit later, once they get Sam. He's not sitting out in the Impala and missing the rest of this hunt.

* * *

 

Dean turns the corner, the twins a few steps behind him. However, he quickly throws himself back as Kat pulls the trigger of the shot gun.

"Damn it, damn it, don't shoot! It's me!" Dean says from behind the corner. He quickly looks over the twins just to make sure their good.

"Sorry! Sorry" Kat panics.

"Son of a…" Dean comes carefully around the corner, the twins right behind him, "what the hell are you still doing here!? Where's Sam?"

"He went to the basement. You called him" Gavin says.

"I didn't call anybody".

"His cell phone rang. He said it was you" Kat explains.

"Basement, huh?"

"Dean wasn't that where-" Ben begins.

"Yeah" Dean mutters as he looks around, grabbing some extra weapons, "alright. Watch yourselves… and watch out for me!"

The twins start to follow Dean, but he turns around and shakes his head.

"Dea-" Alec moans.

"No. Stay. That's an order" Dean kneels down and looks the twins in their eyes, "look after Kat and Gavin, and look after each other. I'm gonna find Sam and burn Ellicott, I don't want to have to worry about you two".

Ben frowns, he does  _not_ want Dean to go off by himself to the basement… but he was given an order, "Okay".

Dean stands and quickly walks away, the sooner he finds Sam and burns Ellicott bones, mean's the less chance that Ben and Alec will get worried and follow after him. He may have given them an order, but he knows his boys. Sooner or later they'll get ignore his order and come and find him. Dean just hopes he could get rid of the psycho doctor first.

Alec pouts and crosses his arms across his chest as Dean walks away. Ever since being at Dean's old house and over hearing the conversation that Dean had with John's voicemail, he had been trying hard to make Dean happy. It was a little hard, being his old self, but it seemed to make Dean happy, and that was want he wanted.

But now, it was getting a little easier as the weeks went on, and he was actually starting to feel better. It was starting to feel more like it did before the whole shifter thing. Which meant that Alec wasn't going to let anything mess it up again. Not now Dean was happy, and Ben was happy, Sam was… Sam, and he was feeling good.

No, he wasn't going to just let Dean walk off and into the arms of a dead, crazy doctor.

He'll give Dean a five minutes head start, and then, his order be damned, he's going to go after him.

"How old are you guys?" Kat changes the subject.

"8" Ben shrugs.

"Wow, and these ghosts don't scare you? You guys are brave".

"Thank you" Ben gives a small smile, she didn't know that he and Alec weren't normal children. She didn't know he and Alec had experienced things scarier than some ghosts.

"Okay, he's had long enough" Alec claps his hands together and starts walking down the hall. Kat seemed like a nice girl, but he can't be bothered with this small talk. They need to help Dean.

"Hold on sweetie, I don't think that's a good idea. You should wait for your dad here" Kat says.

"Alec…" Ben says slowly, he also wants to go after Dean… but he gave an order.

"Ben, he could need us!"

"I'm sure your dad will be fine" Kat tries to sooth Alec's fears.

"I know he will, cuz he kicks ass" Alec sighs, "but he may need back up. Trust me, we can handle this".

And with that Alec walks off.

Ben's eyes widen in panic as Alec disappears around the corner, he turns to Kat and Gavin, "look… me and Alec aren't normal children…we're… we're different. Don't worry about us. Just stay here and be careful".

Ben blurs off and quickly reaches Alec, but before either brother could say anything their enhanced hearing picks up a gun shot. The clones blur to the sound of it and freeze in a doorway at the sight of Dean on the floor, with Sam holding a shot gun at him.

The door slams shut in their faces.

Their hearts stop beating and they throw their selves at the door, trying to get it to open. Both boys are trying not to panic, cause panicking won't save Dean from the possessed, mind altered Sam.

"Dean! Dean!" Ben and Alec yell as they bang on the door.

They can hear Dean sucking in a breath before yelling, "Sam! We gotta burn Ellicott's bones and all this will be over, and you'll be back to normal".

"I am normal. I'm just telling the truth for the first time. I mean, why are we even here? 'Cause you're following Dad's orders like a good little solider? Because you always do what he says without question? Are you that desperate for his approval?"

"This isn't you talking, Sam".

"That's the difference between you and me. I have a mind of my own. I'm not pathetic, like you".

"So, what are you gonna do, huh? Are you gonna kill me?"

Ben and Alec's pounding gets even more quicker and harder at the thought of Dean being killed.

"NO! Sam leave him alone!" Alec growls. It's just like with the shifter, everything was going wrong.

"Sam stop it. Please, it's not you!" Ben cries.

Sam continues, ignoring the twin's shouts from the other side of the door, "you know what, I am sick of doing what you tell me to do. We're no closer to finding Dad today than we were six months ago".

"Well, then here. Let me make it easier for you. Come on. Take it. Real bullets are gonna work a hell of a lot better than rock salt. Take it!"

The twins stop their banging for a moment at share a look. Did Dean just give Sam a gun loaded with bullets? Real bullets that would kill him?!

"DEAN!" Alec bellows, tears streaming down his face. He can't even remember when he started to cry… Why the  _hell_  won't this door open!

"Dean no! What are you doing!" Ben had started crying when the door had slammed in their faces.

"You hate me that much? You think you could kill your own brother? Then go ahead. Pull the trigger. Do it!"

Ben and Alec hit the door with as much strength as they can and it finally gives way. The boys crash on the floor in a heap, as they weren't prepared for the door to actually open. They look up in time to see Sam pull the trigger, but Dean punch him in the face sending him to the ground.

They close their eyes briefly in relief, as Dean stands up and over Sam.

"Man, I'm not going to give you a loaded pistol!" he sends another hard punch to Sam's face, knocking him out, "Sorry, Sammy".

The twins launch themselves at Dean, sending the already unsteady Dean, back on his ass. Dean ignored his chest, which was painful from the rock salt, and hugs the twins back.

Alec is the first one to pull back, glaring at Dean as he does so, "that was not nice!"

"We thought he was going to kill you" Ben sobs.

"I am so sorry Buddy, Squirt" Dean pulls them to him again, "so sorry".

He saw the tears staining their cheeks and the trembles to their lips. He hated that he did that to them, that he scared them like that.

Dean sighs and gently pushes the boys away and stands up, "we gotta find Ellicott's body and burn it".

Looking around the room, they move closer to a cupboard that had something poking out of it, the twins quickly pinch their noses. The smell of a very long dead corpse hitting their noses. Ben tugs on Dean jacket and points to said cupboard. Taking the lead, Dean opens it to find a mummified body. He flinches back from the smell, gagging. Ben and Alec's eyes start to water from the stench.

"Oh, that's just gross" Dean puts one of his hands in front of his nose, and with the other he coats the body with salt, "soak it up".

Ben hands Dean the tin of kerosene, and he begins squirting the body.

"Can't say the guy didn't deserve this though" Alec shrugs and Ben nods in agreement.

The twin's turn their heads when they hear movement behind them, only to see a gurney come flying across the room. The twin throw themselves to the ground to avoid it and it smacks into Dean. Dr Ellicott bends over Dean, grabbing his face.

"Don't be afraid. I'm going to help you. I'm going to make you all better" the psycho doctor says.

"Ben! Alec! Light him up" Dean yells when he realises that he can't reach his lighter.

Ben grabs the light out of the bag, as Alec grabs a hold of a pipe, hoping it's iron, and whacks it at Ellicott. The doctor disappears, only to reappear only a few steps away.

Ben flicks the lighter on and drops it on the body, and quickly moves out of the way of the flames. Dean stands up, grabs Alec and backs away from Ellicott as the ghost turns black and falls to the ground, crumbling on impact.

The twins slide in-front of Dean as Sam wakes up, flexing his jaw painfully.

"You're not going to try and kill me, are ya?" Dean asks.

Sam touches his jaw, "no".

"Good. Because that would be awkward" Dean sighs in relief, resting his hands on the backs of each of the boy's necks.

* * *

 

Ben and Alec are tucked away inside of the Impala, curled up under the blankets, fast asleep. The physical and emotional events of the night had caught up with the boys, so they didn't put up a fight when Dean had told them to get in the Impala and take a nap. Sleep had hit them almost instantly.

"Thanks, guys" Kat smiles at the brothers.

"Yeah. Thanks" Gavin nods.

"No more haunted asylums, okay?" Dean lifts his hand slightly as a goodbye wave, while Kat and Gavin walk off towards their car.

"Hey, Dean?" Sam says as they walk towards the Impala, "I'm sorry, man. I said some awful things back there".

"You remember all that?"

"Yeah. It's like I couldn't control it. But I didn't mean it, any of it".

"You didn't, huh?" Dean knew that was bull, but he didn't even want to start this conversation. He was just glad that everything was aimed at him, that nothing was said towards either Ben or Alec. He could  _not_  go through another aftermath of emotionless twins, like with the shifter. Alec was only recently back to his normal self.

"No, of course not! Do we need to talk about this?"

"No. I'm not really in the sharing and caring kinda mood. I just wanna get some sleep" Dean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! The next episode is the big one... Faith! I am so excited to do this episode, I have some ideas and i think you guys will like the outcome of it. After Faith I will be doing the transgenic chapter(s), so yeah! The next few chapters should be pretty exciting and good. Or I hope so anyway.  
> Please kudos and bookmark this story, and you guys know I love your lovely reviews.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	20. Episode 12, Faith (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I'm so sorry guys! I was meant to upload this yesterday, but I had so much going on I totally forgot :/ So you have this chapter a day later then normal.
> 
> Second off, I just couldn't wait to do this episode, so I have been quickly working on the chapters for it.  
> I really hope I have done well and that you guys enjoy want I've done. Do not worry, there will be more about the twins and especially Dean's feelings in the next chapter. It's just that this chapter getting pretty long already, and I wanted to add some Sam emotions as well.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 20.  
Episode 12 (Faith).

It was strange… Alec assumed that he would be pacing, maybe damaging some things if they got in his way. That he would be struggling to breathe properly. His heart racing, pounding against his ribcage till it hurt. That he'd be yelling and threatening the doctors and nurses… maybe even Sam. Tear's streaming down his face.

However, his eyes were dry. He didn't know why he wasn't crying, he should be, but the tears wouldn't come. He was frozen; physically, emotionally and mentally.

He just felt cold…numb. Just like he did after the shifter incident…but this, this was so much worse. Alec just felt hollow inside, his head was fuzzy and blank, it wasn't working properly.

He couldn't move or talk…couldn't think… He could barely register what was going on around him. All he could do was just sit in this chair that he didn't even remember sitting down in. He was pretty sure that if he even tried to stand, that his legs wouldn't cooperate at the moment.

This just couldn't be happening… It couldn't. But his heart that was painfully slamming against his chest was telling him otherwise. This was happening.

Was this his fault? Could this be his fault? He and been arguing with Dean just before the hunt. Kicking up a fuss because Dean wouldn't let him help, but instead he and Ben had to wait in the Impala. Had he distracted Dean from fully focusing on the monster because of his silly little temper tantrum?

Maybe this really was his fault... But, it was one stupid tantrum… It wasn't meant to cause this! Everything was going fine with everyone, why did he have to go and throw a hissy fit and ruin it?

This wasn't fair! Why couldn't life just leave them alone… Haven't they been through enough as it is?

Everything was getting back to normal…everything was getting good, really good. Everyone was happy.

_Alec_ was happy. Even if he'd made a fuss before about the hunt, he was still happy!

…And now they are sat in a hospital waiting room…waiting to see how Dean was after he got electrocuted with a hundred thousand volts, while standing in a puddle of water.

* * *

 

This wasn't supposed to happen. It  _shouldn't_ happen. The Blue Lady was protecting them, keeping them safe… Has he done something to upset her? No…Ben didn't think so. He has been good. The past few weeks had been so good.

…So why was this happening?

He sucks in a shaky breath of air, and chokes out quiet sob. His tears streaming down his face, splashing on the knees of his jeans. He was sitting on the edge of the cold, hard plastic hospital chair. The toes of his feet just touching the floor. His legs bouncing and shaking up and down uncontrollably, he couldn't stop them. His hands clenched around the bottom of his seat.

What the hell could be taking the doctors so long?

Was it good that they were taking this long?... No… it can't be good, they wouldn't be taking so much time if it was an easy fix… Which means this was bad...very bad… Dead kind of bad?

NO! Ben wasn't going there… Dean was going to be fine. Dean was always fine!

His eyes were sore, and he couldn't see anything from all the water that kept pooling in his eyes. His head was aching and throbbing from all crying, but he couldn't stop. The tears just keep falling, his jeans soaked through. He had managed to stop the loud sobs, now it was just the occasional hiccup of a sob whenever he took a deep breath.

It felt like his stomach had been punched and like someone was squeezing his heart. Tighter and tighter. He wasn't really aware of much going on around him, everything seemed…not real… It was all blurry.

Ben was praying with everything he had to the Blue Lady, that Dean would be okay… He had to be okay… He  _needed_  Dean. Dean looked after them… Dean cared about them… He couldn't lose Dean now, he couldn't!

He draws in another deep breath, to be followed by a rough sob. Dean  _had_ to be okay.

* * *

 

_(Five hours earlier)._

The Impala, and it's four passengers, come to a stop in-front of an abandoned house, where the rawhead had the children, hopefully still alive. Dean turns of the engine and swivels in his seat to face the twins.

"Remember-" Dean begins before Ben cuts him off.

"Stay in the car, and do not leave under any circumstances" Ben repeats the order Dean had been telling them repeatedly, "I promise that we will  _both_  stay in the car till you get back" he adds with a look at Alec.

Alec sighs and crosses his arms across his chest with a pout. Even though they were allowed to come with Sam and Dean, they were not allowed to help with the hunt. They had to wait in the damn car… again! This was because Dean hadn't been comfortable leaving them at the motel, so the Impala was the next best thing. Alec would have preferred to stay in the motel, there was at least more to do there then in the Impala.

Alec wanted to help with the hunt, but Dean wasn't backing down... So what if it wasn't a ghost hunt? He was a genetically enhanced killing machine!

But no… Dean wasn't letting him. It wasn't fair.

"Alec" Dean says in a warning tone.

"I promise, I'll stay in the stupid car" he says begrudgingly as he kicks the backseat.

"Oi, watch your attitude mister or you're going to be losing some privileges" Dean tries to keep his cool, but Alec's attitude has been as bad as Sam's the past few weeks. He knew why, the child was getting frustrated because they haven't had a lot of time to release all the pent-up energy that transgenic's have. That meant he had two fully charged transgenics in his Baby, just one was better at control then the other.

"I'm not a child Dean, stop treating me like one" Alec huffs, kicking the backseat again, ignoring Ben's warning look.

"Stop acting like one then" Dean bites and grabs Alec's offending leg, "Knock it off".

Alec glares at Dean and pulls his leg from Dean's grip, saying nothing. He huffs and turns away to look out the window, and away from Ben's glare and Dean's 'you're-in-trouble' look.

Dean takes a deep breath to keep himself calm. He has to keep reminding himself that this Alec was at least better than the mute Alec from a couple of months ago.

Knowing that both boys understood, Sam and Dean climb out and walk around to the trunk. Dean rummages around and pulls out two tasers.

"What do you have those amped up to?" Sam asks, glad to be out of the tense and awkward space of the Impala.

"A hundred thousand volts" Dean hands Sam one of the tasers.

"Damn".

"Yeah, I want this rawhead extra frickin' crispy. And remember, you only get one shot with these things. So, make it count".

Dean closes the trunk after grabbing a couple of flashlights. He taps on Ben's window to let him know that he and Sam were going in, before walking away and into the abandoned house.

Ben bites his lip as Sam and Dean disappear through the door. He wasn't comfortable with Sam and Dean going off on a hunt buy themselves, but Dean said to stay, and unless he feels like they need help, he will stay.

He sighs and looks over at Alec, who is still pouting out the window.

"You shouldn't have said that to Dean. It was rude, and you know how he feels about the Impala" Ben says.

"I know" Alec mumbles. He already felt bad about talking back to Dean, "I'll apologise when they get back".

Alec leans back in his seat, it has been a long few weeks since the last hunt they went on, the asylum. He has so much energy bouncing around in him, but no way to let it out.

Well, they did have a bit of a run during the scarecrow pagan hunt that John had given them, but it wasn't really enough for transgenics… Yeah… John had actually called them just after the hunt at the asylum, but only to give them another hunt and to tell them to stop looking for him, as it was  _dangerous_ because he was getting close to the demon that killed Mary.

Anyhow, he and Ben had been fast asleep, so they had missed the conversation, but they had woken up to Dean shaking them awake, telling them that there was a hunt in Indiana.

Soon, they were sat in the Impala heading towards Indiana because of some couples seemed to go missing somewhere around a certain road in Indiana, on the second week of April.

Of course, Sam had thrown a fit about how they should go to California instead because that was where John had called from. It was pointless really, because John would have obviously left California by the time they got there.

However, Sam just wouldn't stop and ended up getting out of the Impala and walking off, leaving them. And Ben calls him dramatic! Anyway, after Sam stormed off, Dean continued to drive till they reached a small town. Phew…this town…talk about creepy.

To cut a long story short, the people in the town had been sacrificing those poor couples to a creepy and ugly scarecrow, that turned out to be a Pagan God. Hell, when it came down to it, the store owners had been willing to sacrifice their own niece for the greater good! Sacrificing their niece because it was the only option… hold on a minute… how about sacrificing your own damn selves? Crazy… the lot of them!

Anyway, while he and Ben had been waiting in the Impala for Dean, the towns people had kidnapped Dean, and taken him and the girl to the orchard to sacrifice them. After about an hour of waiting for Dean to come back, they had figured something was up, so they had left the Impala and thought the best place to look was the orchard.

Turns out they were right, while they were almost at the orchard, they met Sam driving along the road in a car he had stolen.

Soon they had found and saved Dean and the Emily girl, and escaped from Mr Fugly. The next day they had burn down the Pagan's tree and saw Emily off as she left on a bus. Sam decided to stay with them, so they could find John together.

…So, all's well that ends well, he supposed.

Well, apart from the fact that Alec was still full of unused energy. That wasn't going to end well eventually.

But he knew he shouldn't have talked back the way he did. Dean didn't want them to help with the hunt because, even though they are killing machines, he wants them to stay safe…he cares about them.

It had taken awhile for Alec to see that, mostly because he grew up in a place where he and Ben, and all the others, weren't considered people, they were just science experiments. No one cared about them at Manticore because they were just genetically altered soldiers, and they could do whatever they wanted to them, because they were born to be used and experimented on.

But Dean cares about them… Alec could see that now.

At first, like Ben, he just assumed that Dean was looking after them because he felt like it was his responsibility, as they are his clones. However, ever since he overheard that voicemail Dean had left on John's phone back in Lawrence, where he called him and Ben 'his boys', Alec started to notice things that he never saw before.

Dean only had to put a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and food in their mouths. That's all he had to do to look after them… but Dean does more than that, and Alec could see that now.

He ruffles their hair all the time and wrestles with them, claiming that he's teaching them how to fight, even though the three of them always end up in a heap on the floor chuckling. He jokes with them and tickles them. Dean plays all sorts of different games with them in the motel or in the Impala to keep them amused… and Alec was sure that Dean let them win sometimes. He even brought a few easy to pack board and card games for them to play; Uno, Monopoly and Snakes and Ladder.

Dean also takes them to parks whenever they have some spare time, even joining in their playing sometimes, and ending the trip to the park with ice cream.

He calls them Buddy and Squirt and a bunch of other nicknames, and from what he's heard, people give nicknames to either people they hate… or people they care about. Alec was pretty sure Dean didn't hate them.

He couldn't hate them because he spent money buying them toys and clothes. He brought Ben books and things for him to draw and colour with, and brought him the little green army men and the awesome Batman pyjamas.

Dean carries them to bed sometimes when they pretend to be asleep and tucks them in. Letting them both share his bed with him, because of Sam's nightmares he was worried they may accidently get hurt. He doesn't complain about being too hot even though Alec knows that he and Ben are like heaters.

Alec had started to notice all of those things and couldn't see any other conclusion, other than the fact that Dean  _actually_ cares about  _them_. No one had ever cared about them before…but Dean does.

He didn't really understand why it made his stomach feel all… for lack of a better word, fluttery, when he thinks about Dean actually caring about them. For seeing them as more than just some government made killing machines. It made him feel kind of warm inside… it was weird, and Alec didn't understand it.

He had shared his findings with Ben once he was sure of what he discovered… and of course his twin wasn't quite as sure that Dean cares about them, because it was Ben and Ben need a bit more reassurance. So, his brother did some observing of his own.

Two weeks ago, when Alec had told him that he believes that Dean actually cares about them, Ben was overjoyed for a moment before he brought himself back to reality. He didn't want to get his hopes up that Dean actually cares and wants them, before he saw it for himself.

Ben looked out for everything that Alec had pointed out to him for the next couple of weeks. As each day passed, he found his hope and joy increasing, as he noticed all the little things Dean did for them. Just like Alec said.

All the praying to the Blue Lady was working, Dean  _cares_  about them! This was all that he dreamed about…this was why he left Manticore… well he didn't know that he wanted  _this_ , because Ben didn't know that this was a possibility… But this was the good that he wanted, want he'd dreamed of outside of Manticore…and he has it.

Now all Ben want's is for the title 'dad' to be used as a permanent thing, not just as a cover. He just wasn't sure how to approach the subject.

"Do you think John's okay?" Ben asks, the silence that had fallen between them wasn't helping to take his mind of Sam and Dean, alone inside the abandoned house.

Alec shrugs, "he's John… he'll be fine".

"…he said he was getting close to  _the_ demon, and that the demon knew that John was on to him. That it was dangerous-".

"Ben stop… you're only going to cause yourself to worry unnecessarily" Alec butt's in before his brother could start to panic, "John's smart. He knows how to keep the demon off his tracks. He said it was dangerous to try and stop Sam and da-Dean from looking for him. John  _will_  be fine".

Ben bites his lip and nods, though still not completely convinced of John's safety.

The twin's head's snap towards the house when two children, a little boy and girl, come screaming out of the house, being dragged by Sam.

Ben and Alec jump out of the Impala and towards Sam.

"Watch them" Sam say before running back into the house, they presume to help Dean with the rawhead.

And that's when it all turned into their worst nightmare.

It had all happened so fast.

They had heard Sam shouting for Dean, and they wouldn't have thought to much of it…if it hadn't have been something in the tone of his voice that made their hearts stop.

Ignoring Sam's order, the twins blur down to the sound of where they had heard Sam's voice.

What they found…

Dean.

Unconscious.

In a puddle of water, next to a used taser.

It didn't take a high IQ to figure out what had happened.

"NO!" Ben practically screams and blurs to Dean's side. Tears pouring down his face freely, as he shakes Dean, trying to get the man to wake up, "you're okay. You're fine… it's fine. Everything's fine".

Sam had move to the side slightly to call an ambulance, while Ben unsuccessfully attempts to wake Dean up as he mumbled reassurances to himself.

Alec had frozen, he couldn't move. This wasn't happening… It couldn't be happening. But it was…and Dean wasn't moving.

He had no idea how long he was stood there for, but suddenly there were paramedics at Dean's side and Sam was carrying a crying and yelling Ben away from Dean, and he was vaguely aware of Sam grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the house too.

He felt Sam gently but hurriedly push him into the Impala, before he put Ben in the back also, and drove off behind the ambulance as it left.

* * *

 

Sam attempts to keep calm. He  _has_  to keep calm because he knows that both Ben and Alec are freaking out and on the verge of regressing again. Alec had gone scarily mute and completely still since the moment he saw Dean on the floor. While Ben… he had to pull the child off Dean and he had yet to stop crying, which was understandable. Ben was also shaking like a leaf, almost like he was having a seizure, but Sam knew it wasn't that. He was just terrified.

Sam was terrified also… This was the one time he wished he wasn't a grown up.

"Sir, I'm so sorry to ask. There doesn't seem to be any insurance on file" the receptionist interrupts his thoughts.

"Right. Uh, ok" Sam takes one of the cards from his wallet and hands it to the women.

"Okay, Mr. Burkovitz".

Sam takes a breath and takes the few steps over to the twins and kneels down in front of them. Ben almost immediately latches on to him, nearly tackling him to the ground. Sam wraps his arms around the trembling boy, the shoulder of his shirt quickly growing wet from Ben's tears. Sam looks over to Alec, and it seems like the boy didn't even notice him.

God, Dean  _has_ to be okay.

Turning his head slightly, Sam sees two cops waiting to take his statement about finding the children. He sighs, but knows it's best to get it over with now.

"I'll be back in just a second Benny" Sam tries to pull the clone away, but Ben has a tight grip on the back of Sam's shirt, "Benny…".

Sam sighs as Ben lets out a sob, so he takes the child with him as he stands. Ben hooks his legs around Sam's waist, sniffling his nose which by now is rather snotty. Sam grimaces slightly at the thought of the snot on his shoulder and walks over to where the cops are waiting for him. He doesn't bother trying to get Alec to come with him, he knows the boy won't move, or even register Sam talking to him at the moment.

"Look, we can finish this up later" the cop says looking at Ben in Sam's arms.

"No, no, it's okay" Sam shifts Ben slightly, "we were just taking a shortcut through the neighbourhood. And, um, the windows were rolled down, we heard some screaming when we drove past the house, and we stopped. Ran in".

"And you found the kids in the basement?"

"Yeah".

"Well, thank God you did".

Sam sees the doctor walking towards them, "excuse me".

"Sure. Thanks for your help" the cop nods and walks away.

Sam moves back over to Alec as the doctor reaches them, "hey, Doc. Is he".

"He's resting".

"And?"

The doctor looks between the two boys and clearly shows he's uncomfortable talking in front of them… Which means it can't be good…

He attempts to detangle Ben from himself, and as he expected, the child has arms like an octopus and an iron hold on him.

It may be better for them to hear it now… Sam doubts he'd be able to tell them himself. No… He  _knows_  that he wouldn't be able to look at their broken little faces that look just like Dean's, and tell them whatever the bad news is.

"It's fine. Go on" he looks at the doctor.

The doctor still looks unsure, but continues anyway, "the electrocution triggered a heart attack. Pretty massive, I'm afraid. His heart… it's damaged".

"How damaged?"

"We've done all we can. We can try and keep him comfortable at this point. But, I'd give him a couple weeks, at most, maybe a month".

Ben bursts into loud sobs on his shoulder, Alec still had no reaction and Sam briefly wonders whether he even heard what the doctor said.

As for Sam himself… his heart just stopped and his whole body went cold. This couldn't be it…he couldn't lose Dean. He couldn't lose his brother.

"No, no. There's, there's…gotta be something you can do, some kind of treatment" Sam shakes his head.

"We can't work miracles. I really am sorry" the doctor's sighs apologetically and walks away to give them some time to digest the news.

This really  _couldn't_ be happening.

He had lost Jess, the girl he loves with all his heart… Now, he was going to lose his brother, the man who had practically raised and looked after him.

He felt sick.

He wants to throw up.

But he can't in-front of Ben and Alec. As much as he's panicking, he knows he has to try and keep calm for them.

Oh God, Ben and Alec!

If Dean…if he…

Sam's going to have to look after Ben and Alec.

Yes, he loves these boys but… he wouldn't be able to look after them. He's been barely looking after himself. He wouldn't be able to care for them like Dean does… It just comes so naturally to his brother.

Sam didn't even think Ben and Alec would be able to handle losing Dean…

No.

He  _can't_  lose Dean, and Ben and Alec  _can't_ lose Dean.

* * *

 

Sam slowly enters Dean's hospital room alone. He had eventually been able to convince Ben to let go of him and to let him go in first to check everything out.

There wasn't anything to check out, but he need a couple of minutes alone with Dean before the twins came in.

His brother has never looked so…so ill. Dean has dark circles under his eyes, which look almost black due to his sickly pale skin colour. His brother keeps his eyes on the TV as he walks into the room.

"Have you ever actually watched daytime TV? It's terrible" Dean says, sounding very weak.

Sam sighs, "I talked to your doctor".

"That fabric softener teddy bear. Oh, I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down".

"Dean".

Dean sighs in defeat and turns of the TV, before looking up at his brother, "yeah. All right, well, looks like you're gonna leave town without me.

"What are you talking about? I'm not gonna leave you here".

"Hey, you better take care of that car. Or, I swear, I'll haunt your ass" Dean says completely serious.

"I don't think that's funny" of course his brother would joke at a time like this.

"Oh, come on, it's a little funny".

After a long silence Dean looks over at Sam, to see his little brother looking at the floor. He sighs.

"Look, Sammy, what can I say, man, it's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it, end of story".

"Don't talk like that, alright? We still have options".

"What options? Yeah, burial or cremation. And I know it's not easy. But I'm gonna die. And you can't stop it".

"Watch me".

"Sam" Dean sighs and shakes his head, he is way too tired to fight right now, "take care of the boys alright. There gonna need you-".

"They need  _you_ " Sam cuts in.

"Nah… They'll be fine without me, they don't need me. They'll forget about me in no time." Dean says, hating every bit of that sentence as it came out of his mouth. He loves his boys to pieces…but now it was too late. "Sam, please just… Look after my boys.

"You underestimate how much you mean to them" Sam shakes his head. He shouldn't be surprised how much alike Dean, Ben and Alec are, since they are basically the same person.

He walks over to the door and opens it. Ben and Alec are sitting across the hall, and by the look on Ben's wet, distraught face, they heard the whole conversation.

Ben was on his feet immediately and blurs into Dean's room, not caring that they are in public.

He's on Dean, with his arms latching onto his neck, before anyone can blink. The tears coming out harder than ever before. His throat raw and head pounding.

Dean ignores the pain shooting through his body and wraps his arms tightly around Ben.

Sam walks down the hall to Alec. The boy still wasn't moving.

"Al… you can see Dean now" he says gently. Nothing.

Alec felt himself being lifted into the air and into someone's arms. Sam's arms…he was taller than Dean, so he was higher up in Sam's arms.

They were moving, Alec could feel that. They were getting closer to the sound of Ben crying…

No… Alec didn't want to go in there. If he goes in that room, then it's real…it's happening. He was going to lose Dean and he couldn't because he finally understood the warm, fluttery feeling he had.

Suddenly they're in the room.

And Dean's there, and he looks so…pale and sick.

That's when it happens.

He cracks.

The flood gates open and he can't get them to stop.

Alec's sobbing in Sam's arms, then he's out of Sam's arms and in Dean's.

"W-w-we need y-ou" Ben weeps, "We won't b-be fine. You're o-ur dad. We ne-e-ed yo-ou".

"Benny" Dean's heart was breaking in half.

Alec nuzzles his wet face into Dean's neck, and if it wasn't for the fact that Alec was right next to his ear, Dean would have missed what he was saying.

"We w-wouldn't forg-g-et you, we love y-ou" Alec hiccups, "I-I-I lov-ve you d-dad".

"I love yo-ou too!" Ben sobs, his grip tightening on Dean.

And now his heart was in tiny little pieces.

This was what Dean wanted, but now it was too late…

He'd never had so much to lose before now…and he's only just realised it, when it's too late. He's never hated drawing the short straw more than he does now.

Dean holds back his own tears that had started to rise, and pulls Ben and Alec, his boys, as close as he physically can.

"God, I love you both" Dean mutters into their hair, knowing that they'd hear him, "I'm sorry. I am so sorry".

* * *

 

After spending the last few hours in Dean's hospital room, both twins had exhausted themselves with the crying and had fallen asleep clutching on to the man, and Dean followed shortly. Sam had to carry the twins one at a time back to the Impala, since carrying both would have been a struggle. He was decently strong, but not strong enough to carry two dead to the world, 8-year-old boys.

Sam, once again bringing them in one at a time, put the boys down on Dean's bed at the motel. Only taking off their shoes and covering them with the blanket.

He then spent the of the day researching everything he could about heart care or anything that could help. When the boys woke up, they joined helped research.

The next two days went pretty similar to that.

In the morning Sam would go to the hospital with the boys, they'd spend time with Dean and would eventually, a few hours later, cry themselves to sleep again. Sam would take them back to the motel and do more research.

Finally, after three days Sam finally got something. He knew Dean wouldn't go for it, but he didn't care. If it would save Dean, he would drag his stubborn brother there by his ear kicking and screaming.

Though he knew that Dean would do this, go to the faith healer, because of Ben and Alec. He'd try it for them. He'd crack jokes about it and moan about it, but he'd do it.

He saw Dean's face when they boys first saw him at the hospital. They had called him dad, and Sam had seen the pure happiness in Dean's eyes… But only for a second, before it was replaced with pain.

Pain because he wasn't going to be their dad, and he was causing their distress.

Sam could see the guilt rise in Dean's eyes.

His brother would do it for the twins.

Sam sighs…he knows what he's about to do is pointless. Dad never answered or even called back when Dean had called him back in Lawrence, so he's not going to know.

But he had to try.

Pressing the call button, Sam waits for the inevitable voicemail. The twins are currently sleeping, curled and cuddled next to each other, subconsciously comforting one another.

"This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son, Dean. 866-907-3235. He can help".

Sam lets out a shaky breath, trying to hold back the tears.

"Hey, Dad. It's Sam. Uh…you probably won't even get this, but, uh…it's Dean. He's sick, and uh…the doctors say there's nothing they can do. Um…but, uh, they don't know the things we know, right? So, don't worry, cause I'm uh…gonna do whatever it takes to get him better. Alright…just wanted you to know".

Sam hangs up, tosses his phone on the bed and just sits there silently. He really wasn't sure how much long he could hold it all together.

There's a knock on the door and he looks up quickly, tears in his eyes. The twins stir awake, groggy from being woken up while their still tired.

"S'm?" Ben mumbles and sit's up, as Alec rubs his sore red eyes.

Sam opens the door to find an awful looking Dean leaning against the wall.

Sam wasn't sure which emotion stood out more; surprise, happiness or confusion. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The twins are instantly awake and at Dean's side.

"Dad should you be out of the hospital?" Ben asks worriedly.

After the admissions back at the hospital three days ago, both Ben and Alec had taken to calling Dean, dad. It felt so good and right to call him that.

However, it was also terrifying because of the fact that within a few weeks, Dean could be… they can't even think about it. The clones just hope that Dean could be saved somehow…he  _had_  to be saved.

"It's fine Squirt" Dean reassures the boy, with the best grin he could muster, and turns back to Sam, "I checked myself out".

"What, are you crazy?"

"Well, I'm not gonna die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot" Dean shrugs.

"What does that matter?" Alec asks.

Sam shakes his head, "It doesn't Al", he huffs a laugh and shuts the door, "you know, this whole I-laugh-in-the-face-of-death thing? It's crap. I can see right through it".

Both boys wince and tense at the word death.

"Yeah, whatever, dude. Have you even slept yet? You look worse than me" Dean says as the twins help him into a chair.

"I've been scouring the Internet for the last three days. Calling every contact in Dad's journal".

"We've been helping too" Ben nods.

During the visits to the hospital, there was never really any conversation. It was mostly just crying and admissions of needing each other and loving each other. Basically, a scene that a Dean, that was not on deaths door, would call a chick-flick.

"For what?"

"For a way to help you. One of Dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. Told me about a guy in Nebraska. A specialist".

"You're not gonna let me die in peace, are you?" though Dean was extremally glad that they weren't.

"We're not gonna let you die" Ben states.

"Period" Alec says firmly.

The twins were done with crying and worrying. That wasn't going to help save their dad. The had to get into soldier mode. This was a mission, and it was one they would not fail.

"We're going" Sam nods in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was part 1 of the Faith episode! Don't you just want to hug the four Winchesters and never let them go? They never have it easy.  
> Let me know what you guys thought about this chapter because I love it when I get reviews (even constructive criticism, as it helps me make the story better for you). Please kudos and bookmark also.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	21. Faith (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my wonderful little readers, I present to you the next chapter.  
> I haven't put in as much thoughts and emotions as I did in the first chapter, but I hope I have still done Sam, Dean and the Twins justice in the little that I have done.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 21.  
Episode 12 (Faith).

The rain pattering down on the roof and windows of the Impala, as it travels down a gravel road towards a huge white circus tent, keeps the two transgenic's sat in the back, calm. Which was good, they need to remain calm. They  _have_ to remain calm. They have to be focused on saving Dean.

Sam pulls the Impala to a stop and turns the engine off. He knows Dean's going to be pissed at him for bringing him here, but it's the only option the he could find.

Mentally preparing himself for Dean's resistance, Sam gets out of the Impala and quickly steps around to the other side to help Dean out, as Ben and Alec slowly slide out of the Impala.

Alec notices the sign next to the tent,  _'The Church of Roy LeGrange. Faith Healer. Witness The Miracle'_. He can't help but visibly grimace… Dean was not going to like this at all.

"This'll be interesting" Alec mutters to Ben, as Dean pulls himself out of the Impala, clearly in pain.

"I got ya" Sam says, as he tries to help Dean out.

"I got it" Dean angrily huffs as he pushes Sam away, "man, you are a lying bastard. Thought you said we were going to see a doctor".

Ben winces, and here it comes.

"I believe I said a specialist. Look, Dean, this guy's supposed to be the real deal".

"I can't believe you brought me here to see some guy who heals people out of a tent".

An elderly woman passes by them on her way to the tent, "Reverend LeGrange is a great man".

"Yeah, that's nice" Dean nods in obvious sarcasm.

"It can't hurt to just try" Ben pouts, with his full hurt-puppy expression on show, "please dad".

Dean sighs, "fine".

Those damn puppy eyes and pout… Dean knows that he will literally let them get away with murder, probably help them with murder actually, with just a flash of their little puppy-faces.

He didn't want to sound sappy…but, he could barely stop himself from grinning at the uses of the title 'dad'. It felt like the best thing in the world for the boys to see him as their actual father. Dean only wished that it had happened sooner.

"I have a right to protest. This man is a fraud. And he's milking all these people out of their hard-earned money" an angry protester says to a cop, as the Winchester clan walk past them.

"Sir, this is a place of worship. Let's go. Move it" the cop pull's the protester away.

"I take it he's not part of the flock" Dean says, watching them leave.

"But when people see something they can't explain, there's controversy" Sam shrugs.

"I mean, come on, Sam, a faith healer?"

"Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean".

"That…that was way to cheesy, uncle Sammy" Alec shakes his head.

Dean waves his hand at Alec, to show he agrees with the child, before turning back to Sam, "you know what I've got faith in? Reality. Knowing what's really going on".

Sam rolls his eyes, "how can you be a sceptic? With the things we see every day?"

"Exactly. We see them, we know there real".

"But if you know evil's out there, how can you not believe good's out there, too?"

"Because I've seen what evil does to good people".

A pretty, young woman walks up to them, "maybe God works in mysterious ways".

"Maybe he does. I think you just turned me around on the subject" Dean gives the woman his famous 'panty dropping' smiles.

"Yeah, I'm sure" she rolls her eyes.

Dan holds out his hand, "I'm Dean. This is Sam, and these are my boys, Ben and Alec".

"Layla. So, if you're not a believer, then why are you here?"

"Well, apparently my brother here believes enough for the both of us, and he turned my sons against me, so…" Dean shrugs to show his defeat.

An older woman walks over to Layla, "come on, Layla. It's about to start".

Layla smiles a goodbye to the group as the woman pulls her inside the tent.

"Well, I bet you, she can work in some mysterious ways" Dean watches as she goes.

Ben and Alec tilt their heads to the side in confusion.

"I don't understand? How can she work in mysterious ways?" Alec asks.

"Is she a witch?" Ben's eyes widen at the thought. They couldn't deal with anything else right now till Dean was better.

"Wh-No! No…no. She…uh…" Dean stutters, struggling for something to say.

Sam gives his brother a bitch face, "little ears".

"My mouth opens before I think. It's automatic".

Sam rolls his eyes, and pushes the twins ahead of him, into the tent, "you need to start working on watching what you say. You know that, Alec in-particular, will copy you. We don't need a set of foul-mouthed boys in the car".

Dean says nothing about how he's not going to be around to corrupt the boy's language, because he knows that he'll only get the three of them yelling at him about how he's not gonna die.

He might as well get this over with.

Walking in, the tent is full of people finding seats and a small stage at the front. The twins look around warily, not too comfortable with the amount of people in the room. Neither of them are a big fan of large crowds…although, they would be good for losing anyone trailing them, should the need arise.

Dean looks around and spots a security camera, "yeah, peace, love, and trust all over", he attempts to sit down, but Sam starts pulling him from the seat and towards the front. "Don't! What are you doing? Let's sit here".

"We're sitting up front" Sam states.

"What? Why?"

Sam continues to help Dean, "come on".

"Oh, come on, Sam" Dean growls.

"You alright?"

"This is ridiculous", Dean slaps hand away from him, "I'm good, dude, get off me".

Sam supresses the eye roll as he lets go of Dean, and points to three empty seats behind Layla and the older women, who the boys could deduce was her mother.

"Perfect" Sam smiles.

"Yeah, perfect" Dean sarcastically says.

Sam moves in first, "You take the aisle seat, and you boys can share the middle seat…or one of you can sit in my lap".

Ben shuffles in first and clumbers on to Sam's lap, as Alec plonks himself on the chair. Dean mentally sighs as he seats down. The things he does for family.

A man walks on stage wearing sunglasses, with the help of a woman.

"Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good, does it? Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act. But, I say to you, God is watching" Roy says.

"Yes, he is" most of the crowd mutter.

"God rewards the good, and He punishes the corrupt", the crowd start cheering and nodding, "it is the Lord who does the healing here friends. The Lord who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts".

"Yeah, and into their wallets" Dean mumbles to Sam and the twins. How'd he let himself get talked into this loud of rubbish.

"You think so, young man?" Roy asks, and Dean's eyes widen in embarrassment as the crowd immediately falls silent.

"Sorry".

"No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you say around a blind man, we've got real sharp ears", the crowds laughs, "what's your name, son?"

Dean clears his throat, "Dean".

"Dean. I want…I want you to come up here with me".

Finally, something is going their way for once, Ben smiles. Dean is going to be fine… Although, it wasn't because of the Blue Lady. She'd let him down. She had let Dean get hurt and was going to let him die.

Maybe he had made her mad somehow…

Or, maybe she wasn't as good as he first thought.

The crowd claps, and Sue Ann moves to the centre of the stage. Smiling at Dean, encouraging him to come to the stage.

Dean shakes his head, "no, it's ok".

The twin's heads snap towards Dean in panic. What the hell was he doing.

"What are you doing?!" Sam whispers.

"You've come here to be healed, haven't cha?" Roy smiles.

Dean hesitates, "well, yeah, but uh…", the crowd start clapping, "…maybe you should just pick someone else".

Sam looks at Dean like he's insane…mostly because his brother is insane.

"Oh, no. I didn't pick you, Dean, the Lord did".

The crowd cheers more, and Sam looks at his brother in a way that says, 'you have no choice', "get up there!"

"Go, dad" Alec gently pokes him, as Ben nods in encouragement.

Dean can't believe he's doing this. He reluctantly rises of the chair and moves towards the stage. Sue Ann helps him up and guides him to stand next to Roy.

Alec slides into the chair that Dean just vacated, and leans his head out into the aisle to get a better look at what was happening. They are basically trusting this stranger with Dean's life…he was very comfortable with it, but it wasn't like they have a lot of options.

Subconsciously, Ben's thumb raises to his mouth and he begins biting at his nail. His eyes never leaving Dean's form.

"You ready?" Roy asks.

"Look, no disrespect, but ahh, I'm not exactly a believer" Dean says, in a last attempt to get back to his seat.

Roy smiles, "you will be, son. You will be", he turns to the crowd, "pray with me, friends".

The crowd lifts their arms up and they join hands with each other. Alec scrunches up his face and looks around at everyone. Roy lifts his hands to the air, then places one on Dean's shoulder, and the other on the side of his head.

"Alright now. Alright now" Roy mutters.

Sam grabs on to Alec's arm as the boy made to run to the stage, as Dean starts to sink to his knees. Although he can't stop himself when Dean falls onto his hands and knees, and then he just falls back.

"Dean!" Sam jumps from his chair, the twins just beating him to the stage.

Alec lands on his knees as he gets to Dean's side, "dad?", if he wasn't focused on Dean he would growl at that damn crowed, who is once again clapping. They are getting on his nerves.

Ben's on the other side of Dean, panic clear on his face.

Sam grabs the front of Dean's jacket, and Ben sighs with relief as Dean's eyes burst open and he gasps in some air.

"Say something!" Sam says.

"Do I need to kick the old guys ass?" Alec asks, completely serious.

Dean blinks and looks up, he was about to answer…until he sees a tall man in a black suit, with very white and wrinkled skin, standing a little behind Roy. Before Dean can call out to him, the man turns and vanishes.

"Dad?" Ben's voice trembles next to him.

"I'm… I'm fine" Dean says as Ben flings his arms around his neck.

And for once, he was actually telling the truth. He felt fine…well, physically fine anyway.

* * *

 

Dean's sitting on the side of a hospital bed, with a clone flanking either side of him, and Sam stood at the end of the bed.

"So, you really feel okay?" Sam asks for the sixth time.

"I feel fine, Sam" Dean sighs. He's had a bad feeling about all of this since he saw that man in a suit that was behind Roy, and he hasn't been able to shake the fact that something just wasn't right.

Before anything else could be said, the doctor enters the room, reading some paperwork, "well, according to all your tests there's nothing wrong with your heart. No sign there ever was. Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble, but, still it's strange it does happen".

"What do you mean, strange?" Dean asks.

"Well, just yesterday, a young guy like you, twenty-seven, athletic. Out of nowhere, heart attack".

And there it was…the something that just wasn't right, "thanks, Doc".

"No problem" the doctor nods, before leaving.

"That's odd" Dean looks at Sam.

"Maybe it's a coincidence. People's hearts give out all the time, man" Sam shrugs, willing this to just be a coincidence. It  _had_  to be a coincidence.

Ben and Alec share a look with each other.

"No, they don't" Dean shakes his head.

"Look, Dean, do we really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can't we just be thankful that the guy saved your life and move on?"

"I agree with uncle Sam" Ben says. He doesn't care how Dean got better, just that he wasn't going to lose him now.

"I can't shake this feeling" Dean sighs.

"What feeling?" Sam asks.

"When I was healed, I just…I felt wrong. I felt cold. And for a second…I saw someone. This, uh, this old man. And I'm telling you, Sam, it was a spirit" Dean stands from the bed and faces his brother.

"But if there was something there, Dean, I think I would've seen it, too. I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of things lately" this has to be nothing.

"Well, excuse me, psychic wonder. But you're just gonna need a little faith on this one. Sam, I've been hunting long enough to trust a feeling like this".

Sam sighs, "yeah, alright. So, what do you wanna do?"

"I want you to go check out the heart attack guy. I'm gonna visit the reverend" he turns to the boys, "It's best if you guys come with me".

Ben slides of the bed slowly, dread filling his stomach. Maybe he shouldn't have rushed to use someone else instead of the Blue Lady… she had never let him down before…maybe she had just needed time, but now they've used Roy…and Dean's saying somethings wrong…

Alec jumps of the bed, his small hand wraps around Dean's big hand. He doesn't care if it makes him look like a bad person…but he doesn't really care what happened, all that matters, is that his Dean was alive and healthy.

Okay…he cares a little bit about what happened, but he wouldn't go back and change it. He doesn't care if it makes him selfish, Alec's not giving Dean up for anything.

* * *

 

Dean takes a seat on one of the couches in Roy's house. Ben and Alec sit next to him, with Ben practically on his lap, not that he minds. He hadn't really let either boy go too far from him since he got 'healed'. The close contact with his boys made him feel just a little better about the whole situation. Knowing that he gets to be with them for longer, as their dad.

Dean looks over at Roy, who's sat on the other couch, while Sue Ann was filling his glass.

"I feel great. Just trying to, you know, make sense of what happened".

"A miracle is what happened. Well, miracles come so often around Roy" Sue Ann smiles.

"When did they start? The miracles" Dean asks Roy.

"Woke up one morning, stone blind. Doctors figured out I had cancer. Told me I had maybe a month. So, uh, we prayed for a miracle. I was weak, but I told Sue Ann, 'You just keep right on praying.' I went into a coma. Doctors said I wouldn't wake up, but I did. And the cancer was gone", Roy takes off his sunglasses, and shows them his eyes that are white, "If it wasn't for these eyes, no one would believe I'd ever had it".

"And suddenly you could heal people" Ben asks, in what he hopes sounds like a wonder-struck child.

"I discovered it afterward, yes. God's blessed me in many ways" Roy nods.

"And his flock just swelled overnight. And this is just the beginning" Sue Ann grins.

"Can I ask you one last question?" Dean looks at Roy.

"Of course you can".

"Why? Why me? Out of all the sick people, why save me?"

Ben and Alec sigh…why can't Dean see how good he is? He is a truly good man, who risks his own life daily to save people, some of which don't even thank him for saving their sorry asses. He's even saved them from being alone and on the run from Manticore.

…well, they're still on the run from Manticore, but now they have Dean looking after them.

Dean's the best.

He just doesn't see it.

"Well, like I said before, the Lord guides me. I looked into your heart, and you just stood out from all the rest" Roy says.

"What did you see in my heart?"

"A young man with an important purpose. A job to do. And it isn't finished".

The twins feel Dean…freeze almost. They look at him and can see his clearly surprised look on his face.

Dean clears his throat, "right…uh…well, thank you for your time", he stands up, grabbing the boy's hands.

"Not a problem son".

"I'll show you out" Sue Ann smiles sweetly at the three of them.

Alec wasn't sure about her…she smiles a lot. Too much for his liking.

Sue Ann leads them to the hall and directs them to the door.

"Thank you" Dean nods and herds the boys towards and out of the door.

Dean sighs in relief as the trio step out on to the porch. He needed to get out of there. It was getting hot and stuffy.

"Dad?" Ben looks up at him like he knows somethings up with him.

"I'm fine Benny" Dean ruffles his hair, as Layla and her mother walk up the steps.

"Dean, hey" Layla smiles.

"Hey".

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel good. Cured, I guess. What are you doing here?"

"You know, my mom, she wanted to talk to the reverend".

Sue Ann must have been stood by the door and could hear the conversation. She walks out on to the porch, "Layla?"

"Yes, I'm here again" Layla says softly.

"Well, I'm sorry, but Roy is resting. He won't be seeing anyone else right now" Sue Ann apologises.

"Sue Ann, please. This is our sixth time, he's got to see us" Layla's mother pleads.

"Roy is well aware of Layla's situation. And he very much wants to help just as soon as the Lord allows. Have faith, Mrs. Rourke" Sue Ann sighs before walking inside.

Mrs. Rourke, Layla's mother, turns to look at Dean with a hard look in her eyes, "why are you still even here? You got what you wanted".

"Mom. Stop" Layla sighs.

"No, Layla, this is too much. We've been to every single service. If Roy would stop choosing these strangers over you. Strangers who don't even believe. I just can't pray any harder".

"Layla, what's wrong?" Dean asks, his guilt rising.

"I have this thing…" Layla hesitates, not really wanting to talk about such a sensitive subject in-front of children.

Mrs. Rourke, on the other hand, couldn't give a damn, "it's a brain tumour. It's inoperable. In six months, the doctors say…" Layla puts a hand on her mother shoulder, stopping her from saying anymore.

Ben and Alec's shoulders sink. That sucks…she seems like a really nice woman. Why did it always happen to good people?

"I'm sorry" Dean says sincerely.

"It's okay" Layla gives him a small smile, that doesn't reach her eyes.

Mrs. Rourke shakes her head, "no. It isn't", she turns to glare at Dean, "Why do you deserve to live more than my daughter?"

Both twins couldn't and wouldn't stop the flare of anger that directed itself to the woman. Sure, it sucks like hell that she may lose her daughter, but that doesn't mean she has to take it out on Dean. On their dad.

Mrs. Rourke starts to walk away, but Ben starts to talk before she can take more than a couple of steps.

"That's not very nice lady!" Ben scowls, as he takes some steps towards her.

Dean's eyes widen. While he felt a sense of pride at his little Benny is sticking up for him, now was not the time. He grabs Ben's arm and pulls him back, as Mrs. Rourke turns back to stare at them. She looks almost disgusted that a child dared to talk to her like that.

However, before she could say anything, Alec decides to beat her to it.

"Why does your daughter deserve to live more than my dad?" Alec shoves her unnecessary and foul question back in her face.

"Mom, leave it" Layla tries to step in, but it falls on deaf ears.

"Now that you have your life back, maybe you can spend it teaching your children manners and respect" Mrs. Rourke huffs at Dean.

"I only respect those who deserve it lady" Ben growls, "and you don't!"

"Ben!" Dean attempts to get the boys to shut up.

"What?" Alec looks at him, "she's the one with the problem. I mean come on! What kind of decent person say's 'why do you deserve to live more than my daughter'?" he turns back to Mrs. Rourke, "I mean, yeah it sucks, and I feel bad for you lady, but you leave my dad out of your problem. It wasn't his fault that he got picked over your daughter".

"You are a very rude young man" Mrs. Rourke glares.

"And you are a very rude old lady" Alec shrugs back at her, matching her hard stare.

"Alec, enough" Dean yanks the boy back, before he could do anymore damage…if it was possible to do anymore damage.

"It's true though dad. She's bullying you into feeling bad for something that's not your fault" Ben says, still with a hard-protective edge to his tone.

"Mom, please. Let's just go" Layla says softly, pulling her mother away.

Dean sighs and rubs a hand over his face.

"I'm sorry dad…she just made me mad the way she talked to you. I get that her daughters sick…but she was more than mean, she was cruel" Ben frowns now that Layla and her mother are gone.

He was worried that Dean would be mad at them for speaking to the women like that.

"I'm not sorry. She deserved it" Alec sticks his chin up, defiantly.

"Dad?" Ben lip wobbles.

Dean kneels down, "I'm not mad Squirt. I feel honoured that you kittens felt the need to stick up for me like that, I do…but maybe next time, just take it down a bit. Okay?"

Ben nods and snuggles into Dean's left side, "okay".

"I make no promises" Alec says, "it depends on the situation, and how much the person deserves".

"Alec…"

Alec bites his lip as he ponders for a moment, "how about I promise to count to ten? So that I can assess the situation, like when I get angry with Ben".

Dean closes his eyes and lets a smile form on his lips. Alec loves to compromise.

"Okay, that sounds good" Dean nods and wraps his right arm around the boy as he also leans in for a hug.

* * *

 

Sam sit's nervously in the motel room, while on his laptop. He should have done more research before bringing Dean here…but he was just so focused on saving Dean, that he couldn't think straight.

He sighs as the guilt rises. He knows his brother, and Dean was going to feel guilty about all of this and it wasn't even his fault.

It was his.

Sam almost winces as the motel door opens and the twins stroll in followed by Dean, who throws the keys on the bed and starts to take of his jacket. The twins clamber onto the bed, kicking off their shoes as they do.

"What'd you find out?" Dean asks.

"I'm sorry" Sam says quietly.

Dean throws his jacket on the bed and walks over to Sam, "sorry about what?"

"Marshall Hall died at 4:17".

"The exact time I was healed".

Sam mentally sighs, "yeah. So, I put together a list of everyone Roy's healed, six people over the past year, and I cross-checked them with the local obits. Every time someone was healed, someone else died. And each time, the victim died of the same symptom LeGrange was healing at the time".

Ben tilts his head to the side, "so… When someone's healed of cancer, someone else dies of cancer?"

"Somehow. LeGrange…he's trading a life for another" Sam says.

"Wait, wait, wait. So, Marshall Hall died to save me?" Dean felt sick, and hot, and like there was no air in the room. An innocent person died, just so he could live…

Ben's eyes widen…he never should have turned his back on the Blue Lady, he should have trusted in her, that she would have helped in time… He should have, because she's never let him down before. Now, because of his lack of faith, a man died.

He prayed that the Blue Lady will forgive him.

Sam frowns, he knew where Dean's mind was going, "Dean, the guy probably would've died anyway. And someone else would've been healed".

"You never should've brought me here" Dean shakes his head.

"Dean, I was just trying to save your life".

"But, Sam, some guy is dead now because of me".

"It wasn't your fault dad" Alec says, even though he knows it's pointless. Dean will think it's his fault no matter what.

"The thing I don't understand is how is Roy doing it? How's he trading a life for a life?" Sam frowns.

Dean shakes his head, "oh, he's not doing it. Something else is doing it for him".

"What do you mean?" Ben asks.

"The old man I saw on stage. I didn't wanna believe it, but deep down I knew".

"You knew what? What are you talking about?" Sam squints, looking confused.

"There's only one thing that can give and take life like that".

Alec rolls his eyes, getting impatient, "would you like to stop being so cryptic and tell us?"

"We're dealing with a reaper".

"Like an actual grim reaper. The dudes with black clocks and those big knife things, that look like they could take off your head?"

"Scythe" Ben mutters.

"Huh?"

"Those big knife things, that look like they could take off your head. They're called scythes".

"Yes, an actual grim reaper" Dean interrupts his boys.

Alec nods his head thoughtfully; the supernatural world just gets bigger and weirder the longer they're in it…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is folks, hope you liked it. I think that there will be just one more chapter to this episode, and then that should wrap things up and we can go on to the X5 chapter.  
> Please bookmark and kudos this story if you like it. Also, please leave reviews because they make my day, and make me more likely to update quicker.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	22. Faith (part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers!  
> Here is the last chapter of episode 12. This chapter has more of Sam and the twins together for most of it because I think it's nice for them to have some bonding time with uncle Sammy (buy breaking into houses).  
> But don't worry there will be plenty of Dean and the twin's moments in the next chapter.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 22.  
Episode 12 (Faith).

Sam and Dean are sitting at the table, while the twins sit at the edge of one of the beds.

"So, you really think it's  _the_ Grim Reaper? Like, angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?" Sam says.

"No, no, no. Not  _the_  reaper, A reaper. There's reaper law in pretty much every culture on earth, it goes by 100 different names, it's possible that there's more than one of them" Dean explains.

"Oh great" Alec moans.

"But you said that the man was wearing a suit… shouldn't reapers wear the whole black cloak thing?" Ben wonders.

Dean shrugs and looks at Sam, "you said it yourself that the clock stopped right? Reapers stop time. And you can only see 'em when they're coming at you which is why I could see it and you couldn't".

"Maybe" Sam nods.

"There's nothing else it could be Sam. The question is, how is Roy controlling the damn thing?"

"That cross" Sam says out of nowhere.

"What?"

"There was this cross, I noticed it in the church and I knew I had seen it before", Sam looks through some papers and snorts. He holds a card up to Dean and the twins, "here".

Ben tilts his head, "isn't that one of those cards that 'psychics' use?"

"Yeah…a Tarot?" Dean's eyebrows cross in confusion.

"It makes sense. A tarot dates back to the early Christian era right…when some priests were still using magic? And a few of them veered into the dark stuff. Necromancy and how to push death away, how to cause it" Sam explains.

"So, Roy's using black magic to bind the reaper and make him do what he wants?" Alec squints.

"If he is, he's riding the whirlwind. It's like putting a dog leash on a great white" Sam shakes his head.

Alec's eyes light up, "can we get a great white?"

"Where the hell would we keep it?" Dean turns to Alec with a look of astonishment.

"We'd just have to pull a swimming pool behind the Impala" Alec shrugs.

"No… What is it with you and animals…dangerous animals and wanting them as pets? First the giant fish demon monsters, the there was the alligators…now you want a great white?"

"Yes".

"Why can't you ask for something normal… Like a puppy?"

"You do remember that we are basically part cat" Ben says.

"Right…cats and dogs, not friends" Dean shakes his head.

"So, is that an 'I'll think about it' for the great white?" Alec asks hopefully.

"That's a no" Dean leans back in his chair, crossing his arms and turns his attention back to hunt, "we need to stop Roy".

"How?" Sam asks.

"You know how".

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about Dean, we can't kill Roy".

Alec and Ben's head shoot up and they look between Sam and Dean. To them, killing a person was something they had been born to do, but Sam and Dean…they saved people.

"Sam the guy's playing God, he's deciding who lives and who dies. That's a monster in my book".

"No. We're not going to kill a human being Dean. We do that we're no better than he is".

"Ok, we can't kill Roy, we can't kill death. Any bright ideas college boy?"

"Ok. Uh…If Roy's using some kind of black spell on the reaper, we gotta…figure out what it is. And how to break it".

"Yeah, because it's always that easy" Alec nods sarcastically.

* * *

 

The Impala bounces down the gravelly road that leads to Roy's 'healing' tent. Dean parks and they all get out

"If Roy's using a spell, there might be a spell book" Sam says.

"See if you can find it" Dean looks down at his watch, "hurry up too, the service starts in fifteen minutes. I'll try to stall Roy. Ben, Al I want you boys to go with Sam".

"But, dad" Ben pouts.

"I want you to help Sam, it'll be an extra pair of eyes" Dean says finally as the protester from before hands Dean a leaflet.

"Roy LeGrange is a fraud. He's no healer" the man says.

Dean takes the leaflet, "Amen Brother".

"You keep up the good work" Sam nods as they continue to walk.

"Right, look after the boys" Dean says as the reach the tent.

Sam bitch-faces and rolls his eyes, "and before you said that I was going to let them play in traffic. Of course I'll look after them jerk".

"Bitch" Dean glares unamused before walking into the tent.

"Right, come on" Sam nudges the boys and they quickly walk to Roy's house.

"So, we're looking for some sort of spell book?" Alec asks.

"Yeah, or anything that looks suspicious"

"Like a summoning alter" Ben looks up at Sam.

"That'll work too" Sam nods, looking up at Roy's house as the approached.

Ben hears shuffling from inside the house, the sounds coming closer towards the door. Ben eyes widen as he tugs on Sam's sleeves, "they're coming out now".

Sam almost asks how the boy could know that, before remembering the enhance senses and quickly drags the boys to the side of the house and out of sight of whoever is with Roy.

They watch as Roy walks down the porch stairs, assisted by Sue Ann and a dark-haired man who they haven't seen before. Sam and Ben watch as the trio start walking towards the tent and out of sight, while Alec quietly walks along the side of the house and smirks when he sees the open window.

Jumping up, he grabs the ledge of the window and hauls himself inside. Alec pokes his head outside to call for Ben and Sam, but they weren't there.

He grins devilishly as he's sure that they both have gone to the door and that Sam's about to try and pick the lock. Alec gleefully walks towards the door, knowing Ben will hear him, and can see Sam's shadow kneeling in front of it.

"Wait…someone's still inside" Alec hears Ben voice as he blurs to the door and throws it open with a grin plastered on his face. He notices that even when Sam's kneeling down…he's still really tall.

"Alec!" Sam pauses…what the hell? The boy was supposed to be behind him. Then again this is Alec, "What are you doing inside… How did you get inside?"

"The window was open" Alec shrugs.

"Alec, you can't just break in like that" Ben frowns at his brother.

"And you and uncle Sam were what? Just looking at the lock?"

Sam smiles to himself at the easy, casual way Alec calls him uncle Sam as he stands up. It felt right.

Ben opens and closes his mouth, struggling to find a comeback. In the end he just glares and pouts at his brother, while Alec stands there looking smug.

Quick to break up the potential fight Sam cuts in, "right, start looking around, but try not to put things out of place, or else they'll know that someone was here".

Ben wonders in to the kitchen to see if there are any… ritual-ly type ingredients, while Alec decides to be nosey upstairs and see if there are any rooms with locks on that may lead to summoning alters.

Sam looks around at the bookshelves, and notices that all but one of the books have dust in front of them. Pulling the book out, Sam looks at the title ' _Encyclopaedia of British History'_. He flips through the book, skimming over the pages as Ben walks into the room.

"Nothing odd in the kitchen" Ben sighs, looking up at the empty space of where Sam's book had come from, and notices a smaller book hidden on the bookshelf. The larger book the Sam had must have been hiding it.

Reaching up, Ben grabs the smaller book, also grabbing Sam's attention. Inside is a picture of a skeleton reaper, and on another page the wooden cross, that looked a lot like the one inside Roy's 'healing' tent.

"Is this suspicious enough uncle Sam?" Ben says, hand the book over.

"Definitely. Good job Benny" Sam nods, while sitting down, as he pulls out the newspaper articles that had been folded inside.

"Okay, I can't find any hidden rooms with locks on, or alters" Alec sighs defeatedly as he walks in to the room, "you got anything?"

"Yep" Ben says as he looks over Sam shoulder at the newspaper clippings.

Alec stands over Sam's over shoulder and see's newspaper articles about all the people who died during one of Roy's healing sessions.

"Wait…isn't that the guy outside the tent" Alec points at the last article.

"The one giving out leaflets…saying that Roy is a fake" Ben shares a look with Alec.

"He's the next victim" Sam pulls out his phone and dials Dean's number, "Dean…Roy's choosing victims he sees as immoral. And I think I know who's next on his list. Remember that protestor?...Yeah. Yeah, I'll find him. But you can't let Roy heal anyone, alright?"

"What are we supposed to do when we find the protester? We can't see or stop the reaper, can we?" Alec asks once Sam closes his phone.

"No, but we can try and keep him safe while Dean stops Roy" Sam sighs. He shoves the little book into his jacket and puts the big book back on the shelf, "right, uh… me and Ben will go out the door. Alec, you lock it back up and go back out through the window and meet us out the front. Quickly, we gotta find the protester".

* * *

 

"I didn't like her from the beginning, I just knew there was something off about her" Alec says, as he crams half a burger into his mouth, while sitting at the table in the motel.

They had come back from saving the protester dude, although it was close as it turned out that Roy wasn't the one who was summoning the reaper. It was Sue Ann, which Alec personally, wasn't to shocked to discover.

Ben rolls his eyes, but keeps quiet as he takes smaller bites of his burger, while looking at Alec in mild disgust. His brother had attempted to eat half of the burger at once and while Ben will happily comment on the fact that Alec has a big mouth, it is not big enough to fit half of a burger. This meant that Alec was having to chew with his mouth open. Ben really question how they are clones sometimes.

"Alec…" Dean shakes his head at the boy.

"Wh?" Alec barely manages to get out over his burger.

"Eat sensibly please, or you're going to choke".

If he was able, Alec would have pouted. Instead he focused on trying to chew his mouthful of food.

Sam sits down on his bed, "so, Roy really believes".

"I don't think he has any idea what his wife's doing" Dean shakes his head.

"Well, Benny found this" Sam hands the little book to Dean.

"It was hidden in their library" Ben pipes up with a smile, happy to have helped and have his help be acknowledged.

"Good find squirt" Dean grins at the boy.

"It's ancient. Written by a priest who went dark side. There's a binding spell in here for trapping a reaper" Sam explains.

"Must be a hell of a spell".

"Yeah. You gotta build a black alter-".

"So, there is an alter somewhere!" Alec interrupts before realising he interrupted, "sorry, continue".

"You build a black alter with seriously dark stuff. Bones, human blood. To cross a line like that, a preacher's wife. Black magic. Murder. Evil" Sam sighs.

"Desperate. Her husband was dying, she didn't have anything to save him. She was using the binding spell to keep the reaper away from Roy".

"Cheating death, literally".

"But Roy's alive, so why is she still using the spell?" Ben asks.

"To force the reaper to kill people she thinks are immoral" Sam answers.

"May God save us from half the people who think they're doing God's work" Dean groans.

"We gotta break that binding spell Dean".

Dean looks at the picture of the cross in the book, "you know Sue Ann had a Coptic cross like this. When she dropped it the reaper backed off".

"So, you think we gotta find the cross or destroy the alter?"

"Maybe both. Whatever we do we better do it soon, or he's healing Layla tonight" Dean frowns.

"Well, the alter is definitely not anywhere upstairs" Alec says as he wipes his mouth with sleeve.

"Alec! Your sleeves are not napkins. You have a napkin right next to you" Dean tells the clone off, while Sam just smirks at the scene.

"Daaad" Alec pouts.

"Don't  _'daaad'_ me. Use the napkins. You get messy enough as it is by accident, I don't need you purposely making more of a mess.

Alec grumbles as he grabs the napkin and dramatically wipes his mouth, while Dean rolls his eyes at the boy, before freezing…when did he become one of those parents? Crap.

* * *

 

The Impala rolls to a stop in the car park next to the tent. Dean had turned off the lights so that they wouldn't been seen.

"That's Layla's car. She's already here" Sam points out.

"Yeah" Dean sighs sadly.

"Dean…"

"You know if Roy woulda picked Layla instead of me she'd be here right now. And if she's not healed tonight she's gunna die in a couple months".

"What's happening to her is horrible. But what are you gunna do? Let somebody else die to save her? You said it yourself Dean, you can't play God".

"Dad…this isn't your fault. None of this, Layla or Marshall Hall. It's not your fault" Ben says softly from his place in the back.

Dean doesn't say anything for a moment, he just sits quietly before getting out of the car without a word. Sam and the twins get out and follow Dean. The approach the tent and peek inside. Roy is speaking to a small group of faithful followers, including Layla and her mother.

"Gather round, please everyone, gather round. Come in closer, come on up" Roy speaks.

Dean frowns and whispers, "where's Sue Ann?"

"House" Sam suggests.

The four Winchesters start walking towards the house, when Dean notices the two cops from earlier.

"Go find Sue Ann, I'll catch up" Dean pushes the twins to Sam.

Sam looks at him questionably, "what are you going t...?", Sam notices the two cops and pulls the twins back slightly and out of sight.

"Hey!" Dean yells at the cops, "you gunna put that fear of God in me?"

The cops drop their coffee and run after Dean, who takes off away from the house.

As soon as they're gone Sam and the twins runs up the stairs and check around the house. It is in darkness and Sue Ann is clearly not here.

"So, where is she? I mean, she can't be too far away from here right?" Ben asks.

Sam shakes his head, confused.

"There" Alec points to the small bits of light emerging from the cracks of the outside basement entrance.

They quickly and quietly enter the basement and walk over to the candlelit alter littered with parts of dead animals, blood and horns. Both Ben and Alec look at the alter with disgust, before their faces turn to horror when they spot Dean's picture in the middle, with what looks like a blood drawn cross over him.

"Dad!" Both boys blur out of the basement, and they both miss Sue Ann. Their minds to focused on Dean.

Before Sam could even shout after the twins Sue Ann appears, "I gave your brother life and I can take it away.

Sam, filled with anger, tips over the table and alter, then runs after Sue Ann, but she is already up the stairs. She closes the hatches and secures it with a beam before Sam gets to her. He stretches to push against hatches and keeps trying, but they don't budge.

"Sam, can't you see? The Lord chose me to reward the just and punish the wicked. And your brother is wicked, and he deserves to die just as Layla deserves to live. It is God's will. "Good Bye Sam".

* * *

 

Ben and Alec decide to split up to look for Dean, hoping that one or the other will find him before the reaper does.

"Dad!" Alec shouts, not giving a damn about the cops. He'll kick their asses if needed. He walks closer to the tent because Dean may have gone to stop Roy if he was able to lose the cops.

* * *

 

"Dad" Ben says just slightly above a whisper. He didn't want to have to deal with the policemen if he could avoid it. It only drew un-needed attention.

He walked carefully threw the car park, checking under the camper vans.

Ben tilts his head when an apart of the car park just up ahead, starts to get dark.

* * *

 

Alec pokes his head into the tent and see's Roy raising his hand on Layla's head.

His heart stops.

This meant that Sue Ann was about to send the reaper after Dean.

Alec had to find her and stop her, he couldn't let Dean did. He can't lose his dad.

Just as he was about to blur away, Alec could just about hear a woman's voice mumbling something…in Latin.

* * *

 

Ben runs around the corner and skids to a stop when his eyes land on Dean, who is slowly sinking to his knees.

"No!" Ben cries as he races over to Dean's side.

He looks around for the reaper, even though he knows that he can't see him or kill him.

"Dad, no" Ben waves his arms around hoping that he is hitting the reaper, but knows that it won't do anything…

He can't do anything.

Dean eyes start to glaze over.

He's going to lose his dad.

* * *

 

Alec creeps around the corner and see's Sue Ann reciting Latin and hold something to her chest.

The cross.

Alec see's Sam slowly walking up behind her.

Growling, Alec leaps at Sue Ann, grabbing the cross and throwing it away, while Sam smashes the glass bottle of blood.

* * *

 

Ben has tears streaming down his face, when Dean suddenly falls to the ground gasping for air.

"Dad!"

Dean coughs. Air has never felt so good.

"Dad, you're alive! You're okay" Ben flings his arms around Dean.

"Apparently, I'm hard to kill" Dean wheezes.

"Not funny" Ben glares at him briefly, before the relief that Dean's not dead washes over him again, "Is he gone? The reaper".

Dean looks around, before nodding, "I think so".

* * *

 

Sam and Alec watch as Sue Ann falls to her knees next to the broken bottle of blood.

"My God, what have you done!" she cries.

"He's not your God" Sam shakes his head.

"FYI, it's never a good idea to try and dick around with us Winchester" Alec glares at her, "we kick ass. Like Batman".

Sam bitch faces Alec, but before he can comment, Sue Ann falls to her knees for a moment before falling to the ground. She convulses a couple of times before she goes limp and still.

"I guess the reaper didn't like being on her beck and call" Alec tilts his head at her body before Sam picks him up, "Hey!"

"Don't look at the dead body Batman" Sam says as he carries the boy away to find Dean and Ben.

* * *

 

Dean slowly makes it to the Impala with Ben at his side, just as Sam approaches with Alec in his arms.

"Dad!" Alec grins in relief and wiggles out of Sam hold and carefully hug Dean.

"Sorry we left you uncle Sam" Ben says.

"It's fine Squirt-".

"Hey, you got his nickname right uncle Sam" Alec butts in, "I'm proud of you".

"It's been a long day, bed time" Dean says as he ruffles Alec hair.

"Fine" Alec opens his door, but turns around before getting in, "just so you know, I'm only going to bed without 'making a fuss' as you call it, because you almost died, so I'm being good" Alec pauses for a moment, "…I'm glad you didn't die dad... I love you".

"I love you too, dad" Ben says.

"I love you both too" Dean grins, a few months ago and those three words would have never come from his mouth, "Now, bed".

The twins scramble into the Impala, grabbing their blanket and pillows as the settled themselves.

Sam looks over at Dean, "you ok?"

Dean shakes his head, "hell of a week".

"Yeah... All right, come on. We should get going".

* * *

 

The next morning Ben is neatly packing up his stuff, while Alec is throwing and stuffing his stuff into his bag.

The both had notice that Dean was unusually quiet, but knew better then to ask what was wrong, as they wouldn't get an answer, so they focused themselves, Alec included, on packing everything.

Sam watches Dean just sitting on the bed, staring at nothing for a moment, before deciding to try and get his older brother to talk.

"What is it?" Sam asks.

"Nothing".

Sam waits for a few minutes before asking again, more gently, "what is it?"

"We did the right thing here, didn't we?" Dean sighs.

"Of course we did".

"It doesn't feel like it" Dean hangs his head.

A knock at the door stops the conversation

"I got it", Sam opens the door, "hey Layla. Come on in".

The twins exchange confused looks and pause in their packing.

"Hey" Layla says.

"How did you know we were here?" Dean stands up.

"Sam…called. He said you…wanted to say goodbye?"

Dean and the clones look at Sam, who gives Dean a sheepish look.

I'm going to…grab a soda. Ben, Alec… Let's grab a soda" Sam nods at them to follow him.

"What? Once soda between the three of us" Alec frowns as he follows after Sam, and Ben rolls his eyes at his brother as he closes the door behind them.

"No Alec, Sam wants to give dad and Layla privacy to talk".

"…I knew that".

Sam chuckles at Alec, shaking his head, "anyway, there is no chance in hell that I'm going to give you any sugar just before we drive. I wish to keep my sanity".

Alec pokes his tongue out, while Ben looks up at Sam. His eyes wide and pleading.

"There is a small park just down the road uncle Sam, please can we go?"

"Yeah!... I mean please uncle Sammy" Alec pouts, "who knows how long it'll be before we can go to another park".

Sam narrows his eyes. Dean was never this good at the puppy-dog eyes. Or at least he didn't think Dean was…but these two…damn.

Sighing, Sam quickly texts Dean to let him know where they'll be, "okay, but you hold my hands till we get there".

"Genetically…Enhanced…Killing…Machines" Alec recites slowly, for what he is sure the 100th time.

"You can either hold my hand and go to the park, or we can just stay here" Sam gives Alec a point look.

"Fine" Alec grumbles as he grabs one of Sam's gigantic hands, as Ben grabs the other.

"Stop whining Alec" Ben sighs at his twin.

Alec pokes his tongue out again in his usual childish manner.

It was moments like this that made it hard for Sam to remember the fact that they actually are genetically enhance killing machines, not just kids.

He hated to remember the fact that they weren't just kids, that they would never get to be just kids just because some high up government douchebags decided to make soldiers out of children…babies.

It was wrong on so many levels…what they did to those kids, what they are still doing to those kids that are still trap in Manticore.

There was no way you could work there and have a heart.

It was just sick and twisted.

"-ncle Sam…uncle Sam?" Ben's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"We're here" Alec says before running of to the monkey bars.

"Are you okay uncle Sam?" Ben asks.

"Yeah, I just got lost in my thoughts was all. Go play. I'll be here" Sam ushers the boys along.

Ben quickly joins his brother on the monkey bars, leaving Sam on his own.

About twenty minutes later Dean sits down next to Sam one of the benches.

"They are damn good at the puppy-eyes, aren't they?" Dean grins.

"Too good" Sam huffs.

Silences washes over them for a moment before Dean shifts his eyes from Ben and Alec, to Sam, "It's been almost a year since me and dad found the boys".

"That long?"

"June 8th to be exact" Dean nods, "I figured that…since we don't actually know when their birthday is, because of the whole secret government facility, that we could make that day their birthday. I mean, it makes sense, because it was the first day of their new lives".

"The day they unofficially became Winchesters" Sam smiles.

"Yeah…" Dean lets a smile form on his lips.

"That's only… five days away".

"They need presents. They deserve presents…I know we won't be able to get much. We haven't got much time or money…but they deserve something".

"The less time might be better, it'll give Alec less time to snoop" Sam points out, "as for the money, we can stop by a bar and you can hustle some money. Could get a small cake for them too".

"I don't want to tell them about this…I want it to be a surprise for them when they wake up on the 8th, and for the day to be for them. No hunting, just their birthday".

"I think it's a great idea Dean" Sam nods.

"They deserve it…it'll technically be their first  _real_  birthday" Dean turns his attention back to his boys.

Sure, he wouldn't be able to give them a proper birthday that other kids get. With their giant cakes and parties with bouncy castles, and the cone hats and dozens of presents. Dean was sure that he'll never be able to give them that…But he was going to do the best he could for his boys.

It was their going to be their first birthday. Not just out of Manticore, but as Winchesters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this ends episode 12 and the next chapter won't be an episode chapter, it'll be Ben and Alex's birthday…as well as the X5's arrival. I am both nervous and excited for the X5 to appear.
> 
> Like I said at the start, it was more Sam and the twins teaming up and spending time together, but I hope you guys liked that, because I did. I love a bit of uncle Sammy.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. As usual, please kudos and bookmark my story. And I love those reviews you guys give me, so please keep them coming.  
> Thanks for reading :)


	23. TwinChesters Birthday (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys and gals! Here is part 1 of the birthday/x-5 chapters.
> 
> As I'm from England, the times zones are different for me and some of you readers. So I just wanted to let you guys know that I was so determined to get you this chapter that I am uploading this at 1:30 in the morning. I just couldn't wait.
> 
> I hope this lives up to your expectations on what you might have thought this chapter would be.  
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 23.  
Twinchester's Birthday (part 1).

Over the next few days, Sam and Dean spent their time gathering money and buying a few presents for the boys. Dean even grabbed some proper wrapping paper, so the boys presents weren't wrapped in newspaper like his and Sam's used to be. Sam also made sure that he found a town that didn't look like it had anything supernatural going on, so that the day would be hunting free.

Dean could only buy a few things, not as much as he would have liked, but it was better then nothing. He got some more army bit's and bob's for Alec, some more colouring pens and note books for Ben, and then he figured that the boys would properly enjoy Lego so he got some for them to share. Dean had been able to a Batman shirt for Alec, since the boy had developed his good taste for superheroes. While Ben, he didn't mind Batman, but preferred Captain America, so Dean was able to find a Captain America themed shirt for him. Then he just got some other little bits like socks and pants, and some small toys cars, and some other stuff like that just to make it look like there were more then just a couple of presents.

Now, he couldn't wrap to save his life, so he left that for Sam to do. He could do it all neat and presentable…not that it would matter to much since Alec would probably tear the paper to shreds in a blink of his eye.

He had the day somewhat plan. He figured that they'd wake up and have their presents, then they'd all go and have breakfast at the diner and they boys could have whatever they wanted. Even if it's a sugar load of crap, he'll let them have it. It's their first birthday, they can have whatever they want. Plus, the town has one of those indoor play area/jungle gym things, Dean didn't know what the name for those things where, but he knew that the boys could run off their sugar high there.

Afterwards, they'd have whatever takeout the boys wanted and spend the rest of the day watching some movies.

Both Sam and Dean agreed that it seems like a good day, and the best that they could do with the lack of time and money. Plus…it seemed better than any birthday they ever had.

The night before their designated birthday, Sam made the boys drink two glasses of warmed up milk, to help them fall asleep quicker. He wasn't sure whether warm milk would have had that effect on transgenic children, however it did. Within the hour Ben was asleep and Alec was attempting to stay awake, however a firm  _'got to sleep'_  from Dean, and the child soon drifted off.

Once Dean confirmed the children were fast asleep, the older set of brothers grabbed the hidden presents from the Impala and brought them into the room. Dean felt, almost giddy with excitement for the morning to come, for Ben and Alec to wake up. Almost like it was his birthday tomorrow.

It was just so important to him that his little kittens have a good birthday. To make up for all their lost birthdays…and his and Sam's lost birthdays.

"We'd better get some sleep, cuz tomorrow is going to be long and tiring" Sam yawns, climbing into his bed.

"Yeah, but it'll worth it" Dean grins, as he manoeuvres his way between the two sleeping boys in his bed and Sam flicks off the light.

* * *

 

Alec snuggles his head into, what he is pretty sure is, Dean's shoulder, as he starts to wake up. The sun starting to peak through the curtain's, he stretches his arms up before sighing as he opens his eyes.

Sitting up, Alec rubs the sleep away from his eyes. He looks over at his brother, who is sat on the other side of Dean. He can tell that Ben is also awake, however his brother likes to stay snuggled up next to Dean with his eyes closed for as long as possible… Or for however long Alec will leave him alone for.

Turning his head around to look at the time, some shiny paper on the table catches Alec's eyes. He slowly slides out of the bed and shuffles his way towards the shiny paper, only to find the shiny paper was wrapped around some stuff.

…It was like it was calling his name.

Jumping on to the chair to get a better look, Alec feels himself getting giddy. The shiny paper was just begging him to rip it open.

He could just blame it on the cat DNA.

"Alec? What are you doing?" Ben sighs, sitting up in the bed.

"Nothin" Alec defends himself, way too quickly.

"Alec" Ben glares at his brother, before noticing the shiny wrapped objects on the table that Alec was practically laying on, "what are those?".

"Come and look Ben" Alec grins.

Ben shuffles out of bed and makes his way over to Alec, who was currently picking up the different wrapped items and was shaking them.

"Alec don't do that" Ben scolds.

"But it has my name on!" Alec holds one up and points to the label with the name  _'Alec'_  written on, "you have some with your name too. I think they are presents".

Ben tilts his head to the side as Alec shows him one that has his name written on.

"We should wait for dad and uncle Sam to wake up" Ben bite's his lip, unsure of what to make of this.

"But they have our names on! That means they are ours" Alec pouts. His brother is such a baby.

"Alec" Ben frowns.

Alec rolls his eyes and dramatically sighs as he jumps down from the chair, "fine".

Taking a running leap on to the bed, Alec gracefully lands on top of Dean, making the older man groan.

"Alec, I said wait for dad to wake up, not go and wake him up" Ben glares at his brother, who shrugs in response.

"Alec?" Dean mumbles into his pillow.

"Yep!" Alec grins, bouncing slightly on Dean's back, "wake up".

Dean pulls the boy off his back and rolls over. Alec laughs out loud as Dean's hands find his tickle spot.

"Daaaaddd!" Alec shrieks with laughter, "Ben! Ben, I need help".

Ben grins and, glad that Dean wasn't annoyed that Alec had woken him up, jumps on Dean's back to help his brother. Dean hooks his arm around his back, grabbing Ben's pyjama shirt, and attempts to pull the child off. However, without two hands pinning him down, Alec wiggles out just as Dean throws Ben down on the bed.

"Don't worry Ben! I'll save you" Alec yells as pounces on the elder man.

Sam wakes up to the sound of two laughing boys. Rolling over, he sees Dean being pinned by the clones.

"Give up, old man" Alec grins, laughter still evident in his voice.

"Never" Dean smirks, attempting to free himself.

"You won't win dad" Ben giggles, "there's two of us and one of you".

"Plus, we are genetically superior" Alec lifts his chin up in pride.

"Actually, there are two of us and two of you, and we are genetically bigger" Dean says, when he notices that's Sam's awake.

Sam scoops Ben up in his arms, as the child squeals in laughter.

"Noooo, Ben!" Alec struggles with Dean, as the man wraps his arms around the boy and pins him to his chest, "fight the power Ben, fight the power!"

"Fight the power?" Sam asks, as he throws Ben over his shoulder.

"We are the rebel alliance" Ben giggles in to Sam's back.

"I see you've made them watch Star Wars".

"Damn right I have" Dean nods proudly.

"We will not come to the dark side" Alec says, "…unless you have cookies".

"Chocolate chip cookies" Ben adds, as Sam puts the boy back down on the bed.

"Nice to know that you're hard to sway" Dean says sarcastically, a grin on his face before getting to business, "so Buddy, you wanna tell me why you decided to wake me up?"

"I told him to wait for you to wake up" Ben sighs.

Alec rolls his eyes at his brother, then gets straight to the point, "there are presents on the table with our names on. We would like to know why? And can we open them?"

"There are presents on the table with your names on because it's your birthday" Dean states.

"Our birthday?" Ben squints his eyes in confusion, while Alec tilts his head in confusion.

Ben and Alec knew about birthdays. One day a few weeks after they had met Dean and John, they asked Dean what birthdays were. It had been playing on their minds since Dean had asked them when theirs was, when they first met. The boys already had some idea of what a birthday was, but they wanted to know all.

Dean had explained what they were during a drive to help pass the time, so now both boys knew what exactly what birthdays are. They just didn't think that they'd get one, because…well, they didn't have a birthday at Manticore. They had no idea when they were born.

"We don't have a birthday" Ben frowns, "we don't know when we were born".

"Everyone has a birthday" Sam ruffles the boy's hair, before grabbing some of the presents from the table.

"Yeah, but we don't know when ours is" Alec pouts.

"Yes, you do. It's today" Dean says, "One year ago, today, you two kittens ran into me and dad, so I figured since it was technically the first day of your new lives, we may as well make it your birthdays".

"So, happy birthday" Sam smiles, "you are both now unofficially 9 years old".

"And yes, you can open your presents" Dean smirks at Alec, as the child caught one of the presents Sam tossed at him.

As Dean had predicted, Alec tore the wrapping paper to shreds in a second, while Ben took his time feeling the wrapped present first before carefully unwrapping it.

"Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na Batman!" Alec grins as he holds up his new t-shirt, "this is awesome dad!"

Ben grins as well as he neatly unfolds his new Captain America shirt, "this is the best present ever. Thank you dad, and thank you uncle Sam".

"These are our first presents ever" Alec says, "…but you're right. I love it", he hugs his shirt to him.

Dean grins, happy that both boys are happy and excited…and it's only been five minutes and one present.

* * *

 

The four Winchesters make themselves comfortable in the booth of the diner. It was nearing eleven thirty, as both boys had been too distracted by their presents to worry about breakfast. It was only when it turned eleven and their stomachs started to rumble, that the older pair of brothers decided it was time for them to grab a late breakfast…or early lunch.

Alec, who is sitting next to Sam, is practically bouncing in his seat. Ben is sat calmer then his brother in his place next to Dean, colouring one of the children picture mats that the diner has, though excitement is still written clear on his face.

Both boys are wearing their new t-shirts under their flannel shirts, which they had to wear because of their barcodes. However, they could leave the flannels un-buttoned so that their t-shirts could be shown off.

"So, we can have  _whatever_ we want?" Alec beams.

"Just for today" Sam hands Alec the menu, as the boy shudders with excitement.

"I officially love birthdays" Alec says as his eyes review the menu, lighting up at all the options.

Dean smirks at Alec as he helps Ben with his colouring. Ben was really concentrating on the colouring; his tongue was poking out slightly and his colouring was neat and in the lines. That meant Dean was making sure his colouring was better then a scribble because he didn't want to ruin Ben's picture.

"Hi, are you guys reading to order?" a pretty young waitress stops at their booth.  **(A/N I am from England, so I'm not overly familiar with American breakfasts, sorry if what I've written seems stereotypical).**

"I think we are" Sam answers, "I'll have the ham and eggs, with a side of french toast and to drink i'll have coffee with cream. Thank you".

"Coffee, black" Dean says, barely looking up from the colouring, "and I'll have pancakes, bacon, sausages and hash browns, thanks".

"I'll have the same as my dad, but no hash browns", Alec shakes his head in disgust, before his eyes light up, "and lots of syrup on the pancakes. Like  _lots_ ".

Dean grins, "basically, he wants syrup, with a few pancakes on the side".

"Yeah" Alec nods, and the waitress giggles at his adorableness.

"And you sweetie?" she turns to Ben.

"Can I please have waffles and bacon, with scrambled eggs" Ben looks up from his picture.

"Would you like lots of syrup too?"

Ben smiles shyly, "yes please".

"Both boys will have milk to drink" Sam finishes.

"Ok, coming right up" she gives one last smile before walking away to put in the orders.

Alec tilts his head and leans across the table to look at Ben's picture, "since when are tree trunks orange?"

"Since the diner didn't have a brown" Ben says poking his tongue out at his brother.

"Orange tree trunks makes the picture unique" Sam says.

"Hey, I'm not knockin' it. Just wondering" Alec shrugs, before sitting back in his seat, "so what are we doing after breakfast?"

"Is there a new hunt?" Ben asks.

"Actually, there isn't a hunt… Or at least there shouldn't be a hunt in this town" Dean says, putting the crayon down, "however, there is this adventure play thing-".

"Children's indoor play area" Sam interrupts.

"Yeah, one of those things" Dean says while Ben and Alec share unsure glances, and Dean notices, "don't worry, those things are awesome. Promise".

"Here are your drinks; coffee with cream, black coffee and two milks" the waitress comes back, placing their drinks down, "your food will be out soon", she smiles once more before walking away to another table.

Alec takes a big sip of his milk before wiping his milk moustache off with his sleeve, "so, daddy-o-", Dean raises an eyebrow at him and he quickly back tracks, "so, dad what exactly is one of these 'children's indoor play areas' that you speak of?"

"It's a fun place for kids to play" Dean says, not really familiar with the play areas. It had been Sam's suggestion.

"That doesn't really explain much dad" Ben takes a gentle sip of his milk.

"It's a big area filled with different things like slides, climbing things and ball pits" Sam tries to explain, "it'll be like the park, just a bit better".

"Just trust us. You'll like it" Dean says.

Ben shrugs and turns back to his colouring happy with the answer. He trusts his dad and uncle Sam, so if they say it will be fun, then he believes them.

Alec, also happy with the answer, changes the subject, "can I try some of your coffee dad?"

"Why?"

"Cause, you drink it all the time, so I wanna drink it".

"It'll stunt your growth. I need you and Ben to prove that I was meant to be taller than Sam, and the only reason I'm not, is because of the coffee" Dean says, as Sam rolls his eyes.

"But you said whatever we want for our birthday" Alec pouts, "just a sip. Please".

Dean squints his eyes and mentally sighs; those damn puppy eyes of Alec's are killers. They are impossible to say no to, "you won't like it".

"Yes I will".

Dean smirks, "okay, one sip. Don't spit it out, you have to drink it".

"Dean" Sam isn't sure whether to tell Dean to stop, or to sit back and watch Alec's face.

"We did say, whatever they want" Dean says to Sam as he passes his drink over to Alec, and Ben pauses his colouring to watch.

Alec lifts the mug up to his mouth and takes a big sip of black coffee. His face almost immediately scrunches up in pure disgust, as he places the mug back on the table. Alec slowly swallows the coffee, as Ben starts to giggle at him.

Dean had to say, he was a little impressed that the boy didn't spit it out and actually swallowed it, but he couldn't stop the smirk that fell on his face, "so, was it nice?"

"How do you drink that shit" Alec grumbles as he wipes his mouth with his sleeve.

"One, language" Dean points at the boy, "and two, you grow to like it over the years".

Alec glares at Dean's coffee, before his head turns to Sam's coffee, "what does coffee with cream taste like? Can I try it?"

"You don't learn, do you?" Sam huffs out a laugh, "you just tried Dean's and didn't like it, you won't like mine either".

"Dad's was coffee with no cream, but yours has cream. I like cream, so I might like your coffee" Alec says, already trying to pry Sam's drink from his hands.

Dean shrugs, not even bothering to hide his smug smirk, "if the kid wants to try again…"

"Fine" Sam let's Alec take his drink, while Ben shakes his head at his brother.

Alec, once again, takes a big sip of Sam's coffee. His nose shrivels up slightly to show that he wasn't a fan of Sam's coffee either.

"And the verdict?" Sam asks, taking back his coffee, already knowing the answer.

"Better then dad's, but still horrible" Alec pouts, then smiles slyly at his twin, "…would you like to try Ben?"

"Nope" Ben shakes his head, a smile etched on his face.

Before anymore could be said, the waitress returns with their food, placing it down on the table, "here we go. Is there anything else you guys need?"

"I think we're good thank you" Sam says, and she walks away.

"Did I mention that I love birthdays?" Alec beams as his eyes glide over his breakfast, and his mouth watering.

"Yep, they are awesome" Ben nods, already tucking into his waffles.

"Just remember to breath in-between bites Al" Dean reminds Alec as he watches the boy eat as though he hasn't been fed in a couple of days.

"And chew before you swallow" Sam adds as Alec rolls his eyes at the pair, continuing to stuff his face.

"Anyone would think that we don't feed them" Dean shakes his head, with a big grin plastered on his face.

* * *

 

Dean watches with hawk like eyes, as his boys zoom about the place, "that doesn't seem safe, do you think that's safe? It seems a little high-".

Sam supresses the urge to sigh, "like the previous five times you've asked, yes it's safe. Plus, it's Alec, of course he's found the highest point to climb up".

"He could fall".

"He's not going to fall, he's Alec".

"That's exactly why he'll fall" Dean looks at Sam, and yeah… Sam has to agree with his brother on that point.

He leans closer to Dean, and says in a hushed voice, "he's genetically empowered remember. He'll be fine. Anyway, cat's land on their feet".

Dean snorts out a laugh, "true, though there is always the exception to the rules".

And if anyone would be the exception to the rules, it would be Alec. The kid was always too hyped up and excited, which lead him to tripping over his own feet sometimes.

Leaning back in his chair, Dean sighs, "what time is it?"

"Nearly five" Sam shifts in his seat, "we've been here for nearly four hours, they have to be tired by now… I'm tired, just from look at them".

"I don't think I've ever seen them properly tired out, unless it's from the shakes" Dean has a light smile on his face, before speaking in a slightly above average voice, "Ben, Alec. Start winding down, two minutes and we are going", he didn't need to shout, he knew Ben and Alec could hear him.

"I think today has been successful so far" Sam says.

"Don't jinx it" Dean stands up, throwing on his jacket.

Sam rolls his eyes, "I haven't jinxed it".

"You better not have" Dean pause, before grinning again, "but they do look like they've had a good day so far, don't they?"

"I'd say" Sam scoffs with a smile.

"Definitely" Ben says, with a huge grin as he appears next to the men.

"Best day ever" Alec agrees, sliding up next to them.

Admittedly, while both boys still look as though they could happily keep going for another four hours, they are both breathing a little heavier then normal and their hair is damp from sweat.

"Good" Sam says, as Ben slips his hand into his larger hand.

"What are we having for dinner?" Dean asks, as the group walk leave.

"Alec and I have been discussing it" Ben says, and Alec nods his head firmly in agreement, "and we have decided that we would like pizza".

Dean fishes out the Impala keys, "okay, pizza it is".

* * *

 

The battle over who get's the last pizza slice, lasts for a good couple of minutes. Dean, Ben and Alec; all trying to claim the last piece, are all in a tangled pile on the floor. Until Sam has enough and grabs the slice and shoves half of it in his mouth before the others could untangle themselves from each other to stop him.

"Uncle Sam!" Alec pouts, as he scrambles off the floor.

"Well that's just rude" Dean sulks and Sam rolls his eyes.

There is a small moment of silence, before Ben wraps his arms around Dean. Hugging him tight, "this was the best day ever. Thank you, dad".

Alec joins in the hug, "you're the best".

"You don't have to thank me, it's my job" Dean says, squeezing the boys to him.

Ben wiggles his way out of Dean's arms and shoots over to Sam, flinging his arms around him, "thank you too, uncle Sam".

"No problem Squirt" Sam grins.

Before anything else can be said or done, all the electrical objects like the lights and television start to flicker, and everyone freezes. Ben and Alec frown, as they notice the motel sign outside also flickering…and the lights for the diner across the street flickering too.

"I told you not to jinx it" Dean glares at Sam as he reaches for his gun.

"No… hold on dad" Ben says, tilting his head at the telly. Alec watches his brother for a second, before turning to look also.

"Hold on?" Dean looks at Ben like he's grown a second head.

This day had been going so well. No hunts, no problems. Just celebrating the boy's birthday, like almost all normal families do, like all children deserve. It was a great day. Now, the damn lights are flickering and threatening to ruin the boy's day, and Dean couldn't be more pissed off.

"It's…not a ghost" Ben says slowly, a small smile twitching on his lips and Alec's eyes widen slightly.

Sam and Dean look at each other and share a confused shake off the head.

"You want to fill us in?" Dean looks between the boys and the telly.

"It's an x-5" Alec says, turning to Sam and Dean as Ben continues to watch the telly.

"What?" Sam's eye brows rise.

"Ben's unit developed a secret way of communicating with each other. No one at Manticore knows it…or at least they shouldn't know it. The only reason I know it is because Ben taught me" Alec explains.

"And this" Dean waves his arms around the room at the flickering electricals, "is that way?"

Alec nods before turning to Ben, as the flickering stops, "who is it?"

"Jondy!" Ben face breaks out into a full out grin.

"So, she made it out alive" Alec mimics his brothers grin. Sure, he hadn't known the children in Ben's unit very well, but he had come to like them.

To Ben, the children in his unit had become his brothers and sisters. To Alec, they had become friends. Hearing news that someone, other then them, had made it out of Manticore, was one of the best things they could have ever hoped for.

"Wait, wait, wait" Dean steps in, "are you sure?"

"Yep. 210, that's Jondy's number. It's her" Ben nods his head in excitement.

For almost a year, Dean had been trying to help find any of the other children who had escaped from that hell on earth. The closest thing they got to anything was rumours and reports of a child with some serious speed stealing from some shops a couple of months after he had found Ben and Alec. They had been a couple of towns over on a hunt, and quickly drove over after hearing the rumours. Unfortunately, the child was long gone according to Ben and Alec, who had search the town as they would know where any x-5's would be likely to hide out.

Dean mentally huffs, it was almost like this was some kind of birthday miracle. He was really hoping this wasn't to good to be true.

"We need to go to the closest electrical power station, that's where Jondy will be" Ben says.

"Hold on a second" Dean grabs the boys arm gently as he started for the door.

"What? Why?" Ben frowns, "we need to get Jondy".

"And we are going to get her, but we need to make sure we are careful and loaded, just in case this isn't Jondy and it's a trap. Okay".

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" Sam nods.

"It's Jondy. I know it's Jondy" Ben insists.

"And I'm sure it is" Dean gently says, gently lowering himself to meet Ben's eyes, "but isn't it better to be safe than sorry".

Ben twist his mouth in a frown, before slowly nodding, "yes".

Dean ruffles Ben's hair, before standing up, "right, let's grab what we might need quickly and go. We are going to make sure we get Jondy. I think she's been on her own long enough".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am pretty happy with how this turned out, even though i was really nervous about writing this chapter because it's this first one where I'm not following the Supernatural script. It is just my own writing and ideas, so, yeah. I've been a nit nervous about what you guys think of this chapter.
> 
> Please kudos and bookmark, and of course leave your comments, opinions and constructive criticism (just don't be too harsh if this wasn't your cup of tea).  
> Thanks for reading :)


	24. TwinChesters Birthday (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is part 2 of the twins birthday and the finding of the X-5!
> 
> I hope you guys like Jondy, or the way I've written her. You have to remember that she's been by herself for over a year now, so she's not going to blindly trust the Winchester, but because of Ben she'll cautiously give them a try.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 24.  
Twinchester's Birthday (part 2).

"Look, we're not saying let us go in alone" Alec groans for the third time, "we are saying we  _need_ to go in first".

"And I'm saying that's not happening" Dean maintains.

This argument had been going on since the group left the motel, and they are now currently parked outside the power station where Jondy should be.

"Jondy won't react well to two random guys with guns just showing up" Alec crosses his arms across his chest, getting really feed up with this repetitive argument.

"We have to go in first and give her a quick run down of you guys and that your trustworthy, or she's just going to attack and run if you guys stomp in there" Ben insists.

Dean huffs, "stomp? We don't stomp".

"Dad, we need to go in first. Give us ten minutes and then you can come in after us" Ben pleads.

Dean's hands tighten on the steering wheel. He knows Ben and Alec are right, if it is the little girl then the best people to go in are them… But if this is a trap, then he's sending his boys right into it.

"How about you take my phone, so you can call us immediately if you need us" Sam says trying to find a solution and keep the peace.

"And you have five minutes before me and Sam come in" Dean relents.

The twins know that this is the best compromise that they are going to get from their dad so accept. They also know that Dean's five minutes is more like two minutes and thirty seconds before he has enough and swings the Impala's door open and stomps in after them.

Ben takes the phone from Sam and follows Alec out of the Impala, the children quickly and quietly make their way inside the power station.

Dean's eyes don't leave the spot where his boys disappeared, his hands still tight around the wheel, silence falling over the Impala.

"They'll be fine" Sam says, but gets no response. It takes almost two minutes before Sam opens his mouth again, "what are we going to do?"

"About what?" Dean doesn't turn his head.

"About having another transgenic in the car" Sam pauses, "I'm not against finding and saving these kids, but we already have our hands full with Ben and Alec in the backseat…I don't think we have room to have another one, at least not permanently. Plus, if we find anymore kids after this one…where will we put them?"

Dean sighs, that had already been running around his head since getting in the Impala to drive here. He knew that it would be too hard to have  _another_ transgenic with them long term. It was surprising how much room the twins take up in the back, as well as their bags, plus motels are already a squeeze.

"I don't know" Dean rubs his face, "I figured we'd need to keep her around for a bit while trying to find a more long-term solution, plus I think the boys should have some time with the kid. It's been a year since they saw each other, not knowing if they would ever actually see each other again… They need some time… Then maybe, we find a hunter she could stay with. One we trust…maybe Pastor Jim…or Bobby-".

"Bobby?... Didn't he pull a shotgun out on dad?"

"Yeah, but he's Bobby" Dean shrugs, "we spent a lot of time with him as kids. He has a house, so she won't have to move around constantly, a huge yard to release all her transgenic energy. Plus, Bobby's one of the best hunters, so she'll be learning from the best… Anyway, it was dad he threatened, not us".

Sam snorts before getting serious again, "you think Bobby will take her?"

"Dunno, maybe…but either way, when we show up out of the blue with an adorable little girl and the Manticore story, I think he'll give in".

"Show up out of the blue?" Sam bitch faces his brother.

"If we give him warning he might not let us in. I dunno, it's been a while since I last saw him. Not sure how'd he'd react, so I figured it was better to try and soften the blow by-".

"By throwing an adorable little girl in his face" Sam finishes with an eye roll.

"Yep" Dean nods before silence fills the Impala once more.

"When are we going to fill her in on the supernatural? Right of the bat, or are we going to give it a couple of days, because I think she'll need a few day's just to adjust to us, never mind finding out about the supernatural too".

"Yeah, we'll give her a couple of days to settle in before starting that conversation" Dean agrees, turning back to look at where Ben and Alec had disappeared.

He waits another minute before deciding that the boys have had long enough and swings the door open.

"Dean" Sam sighs, opening his door and climbing out after his brother.

"They've had their five minutes" Dean states, shutting his door.

"It's a huge place, they have to find her and then convince her to come with them. Give them a couple of minutes".

"I gave them more then a couple of minutes, I gave them five".

Sam bitch faces again, "give them a couple more".

"N-" Dean's cell phone cuts him off. Pulling out his phone, he quickly answers it, "Ben?"

* * *

 

The twins maneuver their way through the station, heading towards the area that Jondy was most likely to be. Quickly and quietly, just like they were trained, as well as locating and avoiding cameras. Practically gliding their way around the place while using hand signals to communicate with each other.

Alec quickly gets board of the hand signals and sighs, "if we want Jondy to know that we're here…why are we being quiet?"

"Alec" Ben hisses.

"What? If she's in hearing range, she'll now know that we are here and come out of hiding" Alec shrugs and Ben does a good impression of Sam's bitch face.

Quiet shuffling from above draws the boy's attention.

"Jondy?" Ben whispers, his voice full of hope.

"Ben?" a wary voice whispers back.

The twins have matching grins plastered on their faces, "and most importantly me, Alec".

A snort echo's from above and Alec pouts, "you haven't changed".

Alec frowns, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means" Ben rolls his eyes.

Jondy shuffles around louder now, before she drops down in front of Ben and Alec, just a few feet away. All three transgenics freeze for a moment, taking in the moment, not really believing that this was happening.

A minute later Jondy burst into a quick run and leaps into Ben's arms. Both children grip each other tight, tears threatening to fall from their eyes. Alec shuffling his feet awkwardly at the side of them, before one of Jondy's arms reaches out and grabs the boy in for a group hug, which he quickly accepts.

"I can't believe you guys made it out too" Jondy says, stepping out of the hug a minute later, "I mean, I hoped that others made it…but actually seeing it…".

"I know what you mean" Ben grins.

She looks the twins up and down, and notices how well feed and clean they are, "you guys look good. How? Where have you been?"

"We found our DNA donor" Alec smirks proudly as Jondy's eyes widen, "yep. A one in a million chance of ever meeting your donor, and me and Ben literally run into the guy".

"Wow" Jondy breathes.

"That's not even the best bit, the guy is awesome. We told him all about Manticore and he didn't kick us to the curb. He's our dad now".

"What?"

Ben nods, "At first he just pretended to be our dad in public so that it didn't look suspicious. Now though, he's actually our dad. He makes sure we have food and milk, clothes-".

"And toys" Alec interrupts, "presents for our birthday. Which is today!"

"He just…It's hard to explain everything that dad, Dean, does. He just does stuff for us and he does it because he actually cares about us" Ben continues.

"To him we aren't science experiments or super soldiers. We are kids, his kids" Alec grins, "trust me, you'll love him".

"Him and uncle Sam".

"OH! You have to see uncle Sam. The dude is a giant!"

"They're outside waiting in the Impala, though dad is probably about to burst in after us" Ben see's Jondy's nervousness and remembers that unlike him and Alec, Dean and Sam are strangers to her. Stepping closer to her, her grabs her hand, "I promise, they are not like Manticore".

"Sometimes dad shouts and gives us orders, but it's not like Manticore. He's doin it because he loves us…even if it is annoying" Alec adds the last part under his breath.

Jondy bite's her lip, she shouldn't be nervous like this, she was supposed to be a soldier… Sucking in a deep breath, she nods her head at Ben. She trusts him and Alec, "okay".

"Great" Ben smiles at her.

"We should probably call dad and let him know that we're not being killed or kidnapped, and that we're coming back now" Alec says, and Ben rolls his eyes at his brother's phrasing while pulling out Sam's phone.

* * *

 

"Okay…fine, but if you're not here in two minutes I'm coming in" Dean says, before pulling his phone away from his ear and putting it away.

"So, their fine?" Sam gives his brother the 'I-told-you-so' face.

"Yeah, and they've got Jondy" Dean leans against the Impala.

"I told you they'd be fine".

"Shut up" Dean huffs.

The men stand in silence as they wait for the three transgenics to appear, and after a minute three little figures start walking towards them.

As they get closer, Sam and Dean see what Jondy looks like, and for Dean it reminds him of when he first met Ben and Alec.

The most obvious and noticeable bit about the girl was that she was wearing clothes that were both; dirty and too big for her, with two different shoes on her feet. As well as the fact that the girl herself was speckled in dirt.

Dean kneels down, once the trio are a few feet away, in the hopes that it makes Jondy feel a bit more at ease. He figured that the girl was probably a little scared and only here now because of Ben and Alec.

"Hi Jondy, I'm Dean" he says and gently as he can, reaching out his hand, "I'm Ben and Alec dad".

The girl slowly shakes his hand and quietly mumbles, "hello Sir".

"You can just call me Dean, sweetheart".

Up close, Dean can see that her eyes are a light blue, almost grey kind of colour. Her hair, that is chin length, looks dark brown, but that could just be because her hair looked a little matted and dirty, due to a lack of brushing and washing. Although, it wasn't dirty enough to have not been washed for a year, only a couple of weeks, meaning she had been able to find some ways of washing.

"And I'm Sam" Sam smiles as he crouches next to Dean, "the boy's uncle".

"You can call him nerd" Dean grins and Alec giggles.

"You can call me Sam, ignore Dean. Sometimes he's a bigger kid then Ben and Alec" Sam says, trying not to sound frustrated at his brother in front of the girl.

Jondy's lips turn in to a small, quick smile.

"Right, now I think it's time we headed back to the motel" Dean pause for a moment, looking at Jondy, "after we make a quick stop at a shop first".

* * *

 

Dean was very unsure whether it was okay or not for him to help an 8 or 9 year old girl in the shower… He figured that it probably wasn't appropriate, so after showing Jondy how the shower works, he handed her a towel, soap and the conditioner they got from the shop to help de-tangle her hair. Dean also left her a pair of Ben's pyjamas and underwear. Then left her alone, closing the door on his way out of the bathroom.

They had also grabbed a brush, toothbrush and some more milk at the 24-hour convent store. Jondy would have to borrow some of Ben and Alec clothes for tonight and tomorrow, since most shops are closed at this time of night. They'd stop of at a store before they left town tomorrow after breakfast.

Sam was currently out picking up some more food for everyone… well, mostly for Jondy. They figured that she probably hasn't been able to get her hands on much food, just enough to get her by, so she was most likely hungry. Especially with the fast metabolism that transgenics seem to have.

Ben is currently writing in one of his little note books, sat on the bed. Alec is distracting himself with some of the Lego, stretched out on the floor.

Dean grabs a beer out of the fridge and collapses in the chair, enjoying the peace and quiet that has now settled in the room. This has been a long day…but totally worth it. The boys actually got to be real kids for a day, and on top of that, they found one of their friends.

About fifteen minutes later Jondy slowly shuffles out of the bathroom dressed in Ben's pyjamas that are just slightly to big, but not as big as the dirty stolen clothes she had been wearing before. Her hair dripping, making the shoulders of the pyjama top wet. She stood in the doorway of the bathroom, clutching the damp towel, unsure of what to do next.

She carefully steps closer to Dean when he motions for her to come to him.

"Right, you'll have to be patient me sweetheart, I haven't ever really needed to brush someone's hair before. Plus, your hair's a bit tangled…so this may take a while…and it may hurt a little, but I'll be as gentle as possible. Okay?" Dean says, grabbing the hair brush.

Briefly glancing at Ben and Alec for reassurance, Jondy cautiously stands in front of Dean and twizzles around so her back is to him. She's still holding on to the towel, her fingers nervously picking at it. She trusts Ben and Alec, especially Ben…but that didn't mean that she sure or comfortable with this Dean character, or his brother Sam, yet. She didn't trust them yet either, but because they have Ben and Alec's trust, she figures that she can give them a try…they must be good guys if the twins think they are, and they've been nice to her so far.

Still, she was nervous…soldiers shouldn't be nervous.

Dean carefully and gently brushes Jondy's hair, attempting to pull the knots out without causing the girl too much pain. He was just glad that it looked like the conditioner took out most of the tangles.

"Jondy" Ben pipes up from his place on the bed, "…when we were escaping…did you happen to see if anyone else made it over the fence…or anything?"

She frowns and shakes her head slightly, "I didn't see anyone else climb over the fence…but I had been with Max when we were running to the gate…but we ran over some ice and Max fell in. I went to try and help her out, but the guards started shooting so I had to run. I got shot in my shoulder, luckily it didn't hit anything major, but I got a scar from it" Jondy pauses for a second, "I don't know what happen to Max after that…whether she got out of the water after the guards left to chase me, or if Manticore got her out…or if…she didn't make it out of the water at all".

Just when Dean thought he couldn't hate that place more.

"Well…whatever happened…I'm glad you got out" Ben sends Jondy a small smile.

"Come on guys" Alec sighs, "this is Max we're talking about…she probably got out of the water herself and made it over the fence. As much as I hate to admit it…she's pretty damn awesome… She made it out, I know she did".

"And we will find her sooner or later" Dean adds, "just like any others that escaped too".

Ben and Alec grin at that because they know that their dad is right. He hasn't let them down yet.

When Sam walks back into the motel, another five minutes later, Dean is giving Jondy's hair a last couple of strokes with the brush to make sure her hair is knot free.

"We have one freshly cleaned transgenic" Dean lean's back in his chair, tossing the brush on the table.

"Well, I have food to feed the freshly cleaned transgenic" Sam says, placing the food on the table.

"There's enough food to feed two extra transgenics, right?" Alec shoots up from the floor and eyes the food.

Sam rolls his eyes, "yes," he hands Alec a burger.

"Right, these-" Dean unwraps one of the burgers and hands it to Jondy, "are burgers, and they are one of the best foods to be created".

She nods her head, "I've seen a lot of people eat these before and they usually seem to enjoy them".

"That's because they are so good" Alec moans as he takes a giant bite of his burger.

"Ben, finish up with your book and come and get some food" Dean says, shovelling some fries into his mouth.

Jondy watches Alec eat his burger for a moment, before copying his actions and taking a bite of her burger. Ben puts his note book away and climbs off the bed. Grabbing some of the fries he grins at Jondy, who swallows her first mouthful of burger.

"So? What do you think?" Ben asks.

Her only response is a nod of her head as she's already shoving more into her mouth. She finds it a little too greasy for her to have anymore than just this burger, but at the same time it was quite tasty, and she was starving.

"Looks like we've got another Alec" Dean snorts.

"Lucky you then, cuz I'm awesome" Alec states proudly.

Sam laughs as he pours out three glasses of milk and sets them on the table for the twins and Jondy.

* * *

 

The twins are now changed into their pyjamas and climbing into Dean's bed. Jondy, who's hair has now changed to a light brown colour as it dried, climbs in next to the boys. Dean decided he would take the couch tonight and let the three kittens share the bed. He doubted that Jondy will have slept in an actual bed for a while, and she probably would feel more comfortable have Ben and Alec with her.

For once, even Alec wasn't complaining about going to bed, due to the fact that it was one in the morning and it had been a long, tiring day for everyone. Though Dean made sure that it was clear to the boy that he wasn't allowed to wake him up until nine o'clock at the earliest.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Ben yawns, sandwiched in-between Alec and Jondy.

"We're going to leave town. Figured it might be best to get out of here sooner rather than later…just in case" Dean says, as he lays out the blanket on the couch for himself.

"That's probably best" Alec snuggles his head into the pillow.

"We'll have breakfast at the diner before we go, and find a clothes shop for Jondy too" Dean adds.

"She needs toys too" Alec mumbles sleepily.

"Yeah, some toys too" Sam fights a yawn as he lowers himself into his bed, "night".

"Goodnight boys, Jondy" Dean flicks off the last light.

A couple of mumbled replies followed as Dean lies down on the slightly uncomfortable couch.

* * *

 

The five-some make their way around the shop, finding a few things for Jondy to wear, as she is currently wearing a mixture of Ben and Alec's clothing.

Well… it's mostly Sam helping the girl pick out clothes with some help from Ben, while Alec flaunts around the shop trying to amuse himself and Dean attempts to keep an eye on him.

The group already had breakfast. Not as amazing as yesterday, much to Alec's disappointment, but the three kittens had bacon and scrambled eggs with some toast on the side. Sam and Dean saw the almost comical way Jondy's little eyes got wide and bright at the sight of the crispy bacon. The poor kid probably had her first hot meal last night when they got her the burger, so this was also most likely her first real breakfast since escaping Manticore too.

She went to start eating with her hands, but luckily Sam intervened and handed her the knife and fork. A year since Manticore and living on the streets eating either scraps or what she could steal, meant that she barely remembered that you are supposed to eat with cutlery…she was too hungry for the warm plate of food in-front of her to remember or care frankly.

Jondy had soon eaten everything on her plate and was nibbling on some of the toast. She'd eaten so fast, she had even beaten Alec. She had enjoyed this meal even more then the burger, less grease. Even the toast was nice because it wasn't old or mouldy, plus she got butter on this toast…and she got to try different types of jam and stuff to go on it. She liked the raspberry jam the best.

Once everyone had finished and the meal was payed, the men herded the children back into the Impala to find a shop for Jondy, which is where they are now.

While Dean was keeping an eye on Alec, Sam was helping Jondy pick out some clothes. He really had no idea what little girls liked, so this felt tougher than a hunt to him. Seriously, give him a ghost or a werewolf any day over this.

Sighing, Sam looks at all the clothes. Pink… Girls like pink, right? And stuff like horses and…flowers.

"Okay Jondy, you're about a size smaller then Ben and Alec… **(A/N Again, I'm not from America so I have no clue how your sizing works, sorry)**  So, look at clothes between 7 and 8 years" Sam shrugs as he kneels down to Jondy's level, "then just choose whatever you like".

"What I like?" Jondy asks quietly. At Manticore they had their set clothing, and when she escaped she stole the first clothes she could get her hands on that looked close-ish to her size. She's never gotten to choose before. She isn't even sure were to begin with these clothes, or what she likes.

"Yeah, have a look around and if you see something that you like, just say" Sam smiles at her before standing back up.

Sam looks around at some of the clothes, he knew that she would need some clothes to hide her barcode. Flicking through some of the clothes Sam pulled out a bright pink jumper, because girls like pink right?

"How's this?" Sam holds it out for the girl to see and quickly puts it back on the rack when he sees the look of both disgust and horror on her face.

Maybe not all girls like pink then.

About twenty minutes later Jondy now has five t-shirts, all in different bright colours because she wanted to try colours that weren't at Manticore, colours that are new and exciting. So, she has yellow, orange, lime green, baby blue and purple. A couple of jumpers, not including that horrible pink that Sam had first suggested, one of which though does have ladybirds all over it. A couple of lumberjack shirts like the twins have because they are good at hiding the barcodes. Three pairs of jeans and a red skirt with big white poke-a-dots on it, because Sam had seen her looking at it a few times during the shop and could tell she wanted it but was nervous about asking for it, so he grabbed it for her. Then they quickly picked up a denim jacket, coat, pack of underwear and socks, two pairs of pyjamas and two pairs of cheap shoes that would probably only last a couple of months but will do for now.

As they were checking out, Dean appears out of nowhere after not being involved in any of the clothes shopping, and drops a soft, cuddly teddy on the pile of clothes.

"The kid needs a toy too" Dean shrugs. He'd seen the way the little girl looked at the bear with curiosity and want when they had first walk into the shop, so he doubled back to get it, "Ben and Alec can share their things with her as well for now, but she needs something that's just hers too".

Dean practically winced as Sam handed over the money to pay for the clothes. He was definitely going to have to stop at a bar tonight and hustle some drunks out of their money, if they were even going to be able to afford a room in whatever town they ended up in.

"Here" Dean takes the teddy that had been put in one of the bags and hands it to Jondy, who gently accepts it and wraps her arms around it.

"Thank you" the fur is soft and when she squeezes it, it feels like a small cushion. She likes this toy.

"If you want, you can name it. Whatever you want" Sam says.

"May I suggest the name Robert if you decide it's a boy, or for a girl Sally" Alec grins and Dean snorts, while Sam shakes his head.

Ben rolls his eyes, "Really? Again, with Robert and Sally?"

"I will have my Robert and Sally. You'll see!"

"I don't understand?" Jondy tilts her head in confusion.

"I'll explain in the car" Ben sighs.

"So, are we done now. Are we going to hit the road" Alec groans, hanging on to one of Dean's arms, "cuz I'm bored".

Dean rolls his eyes, "Yes we're done now".

"Good" Alec sighs in relief.

"Where are we going Si-Dean" Jondy asks, biting her lip.

"Not sure yet, but we won't stop driving till night hits. I want to put some distance between us and this town" Dean says, unlocking the Impala.

They had already packed and left the motel before having breakfast.

Sam and Dean squeeze the couple of bags of clothes into the trunk, while the twins and Jondy climb into the backseat. There is Lego all over the back space of the Impala, with a mixture of army men too in the hopes that it'll ease some of the boredom.

Within a couple of minutes, the four Winchesters and their new passenger were driving off, with one of Dean's tapes blaring through the Impala.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you guys go. I'm thinking of doing a couple of episodes with Jondy in them before Sam and Dean take her to Bobby's because I didn't want to have an x-5 appear and then disappear a chapter later. Plus, Ben and Alec should have some time with their friend and Jondy needs to warm up to Sam and Dean more before letting them hand her to another stranger (Bobby). She needs to trust them first.
> 
> Plus…It may be because I'm a softy for things like this, but I think Dean/Jondy (NOT romantically) is cute.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please kudos, bookmark and review.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	25. Episode 13, Route 666 (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter! I have I few things to say, but I'll leave them at the end of the chapter so you guys can just get on with reading the story.
> 
> We have a flash back! Haven't had one of those in a while.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 25.  
Episode 13 (Route 666).

Sam lays out a map on the roof of the Impala, while Dean stands a little bit away answering his phone. Ben sits in the car writing in his note book, still thanking the Blue Lady for leading them to Jondy. Meanwhile, Alec and Jondy are stretching out their legs a little bit away from the Impala.

The little girl had been given  _'the supernatural is real'_  talk a couple of day's ago. She was sceptical, of course, but figured that if Ben and Alec believe in it then she should be open minded for the time being until they could be proved right, or wrong.

In Dean's opinion, this talk had gone a lot better than the one for Ben and Alec _… … …_

_The room had been quiet for almost five minutes. The twins were sat on the bed furthest away from the door, Dean was sat opposite them on the other bed, while John sat a little bit away from them at the table._

_Alec's eyes are squinted and staring off at the wall. So, squinted that Dean wonders briefly if he can even see out of them. He could practically see the cogs turning in the boy's head, trying to understand what he and dad just told him._

_Ben was staring at the same wall, however he kept opening and closing his mouth. Like he wanted to say something but had no clue as to what. Dean could see the cogs breaking in this boy's head trying to comprehend what he had been told._

_Alec sucks in a breath and nods his head, "right…", he slips off the bed and puts his hand up in a mock salute, "cya!"_

_The boy starts walking towards the door, when John blocks him._

" _Where do you think you're going?" John stares down at the boy._

" _Leaving, so if you would kindly just…" Alec makes a shooing motion with his hands, "…dude, I asked nicely. Move"._

_Dean's eyebrows shot up at this child calling John 'dude'._

" _Sit back down" John barks at the child._

" _No" Alec stuck up his chin._

" _Look Alec, I get that this all sounds-" Dean begins._

" _What? Crazy?" the boys turns around and bitch faces, "it's more then crazy. You two are insane and need help", Alec turns to Ben, who had yet to move, "they can't help us, we have to go"._

" _Alec-" Dean tries again._

" _You know that there are places that can help you with your crazy delusions, yeah?"_

_Dean can see the panic on the boy's face. He was scared. The boy wasn't even trying to cover it up._

_Alec pulled on the sleeves of the shirt that he was wearing. It was clean and new…or as clean and new as a quick by at a charity shop can be. Not that Alec cared, it was already so much better than the filthy rags he and Ben had been wearing before Dean and John had got them some proper clothes that fit._

_He picks at a bit of loose thread at the end of this right sleeve and mumbles to himself, "great…my DNA donors from a nut house"._

" _Look, we sound crazy, yes. But it's all real" Dean sighs._

_Alec throws his hands up to his ears in a childish attempt to ignore the conversations._

_John just looks at the boy unimpressed, knowing that he can still easily hear everything, "you told us you have enhanced senses, like hearing"._

" _Don't care not listening" Alec huffs._

" _We believed you" Dean rubs his hands over his face, trying to cool his frustration, "you told us that you were my clones with enhancements and cat DNA, that just escaped from a secret government facility. If we can believe you, then you can try and at least hear us out"._

" _You only believed us after you had that DNA test done that gave you proof that we were telling the truth"._

" _So, you want proof?"_

" _No, I want a unicorn" Alec rolls his eyes, hands still on his ears, "Yes, I want proof"._

" _Don't talk back like that" John's gruff voice barks._

" _What kind of proof would be good enough?" Dean asks._

" _I want to see one of these 'supernatural monster' for myself. Up close so I know it's not fake" Alec states._

" _Not happening" Dean says immediately, "you're a kid, I'm not letting you go on a hunt"._

" _I'm a genetically impowered super soldier. Not a kid"._

" _Al-"._

" _I won't accept anything other then a hunt as proof"._

_Dean wants to strangle this kid._

" _Then we'll take them on a hunt" John says eventually._

" _Dad?" Dean stares at his father in disbelief._

" _The best kind of proof is seeing it first hand, and it'll help them to realise that as 'impowered and super' as they are, the supernatural is even more impowered and super" John returns to his seat, "we'll train them up first, then take them on a simple salt and burn. Not too hard, but enough"._

_Dean was unsure about this, but there weren't many options._

" _Are they like the nomalies?" Ben's quiet voice is barely heard._

" _The what?" Dean frowns._

" _Nomalies. Back at Manticore…in the basements, there are nomalies. If you were a bad soldier…sometimes you got sent down there…and you never came back" Ben's eyes were becoming wet, "they're monsters…they were some of the first x-series…but they went wrong and now they are nomalies"._

_Alec walked back over to the bed and sat next to his brother._

" _I guess that these…nomalies…are somewhat similar to what we deal with" Dean says._

" _What we deal with…we know how to hunt them, how to kill them to save people" John adds._

_Dean nods, "we what let you near them, or them near you, you till you are ready…okay? Cause, you're not soldiers at Manticore anymore", Dean eyes flicker over both boys, "when you're ready, we'll go on this hunt"._

_Ben sighs and sniffles feeling ashamed that he let himself cry over this._

_Alec knowing how his brother was feeling decided to break the tension…or make it worse. It could go either way really when it came to Alec._

" _Well, until I see a ghost…you're still crazy" Alec shrugs and John barely holds in a growl of annoyance… … …_

Yeah, Jondy definitely took the talk better, Dean grimaces at the memory.

Alec and Ben have been filling her in on the different monsters that they've come across, even though for most of it Dean had apparently made them stay in either the car or the motel. Jondy didn't really understand this, because they are super soldiers, they could help with the hunting of monsters.

When she voiced this, Alec started waving his arms in the arm wildly yelling  _"See! This is what I keep saying! Suuuppppper soooooldiers! We can help kick ass. But no. Dad won't let us, cuz we're just kids"_. To which Dean just groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

Currently Alec was filling her in on another hunt, giving her some information about the creature along the way to help with her 'hunter learning', as he still like to call it.

"-and because fire is the only thing that can kill it, and they lost the molotovs that they had made, dad shot the thing with a flare gun. He said the thing just burst into flames, which would have been awesome to have seen first-hand instead of being stuck in the motel" Alec grumbles the last bit with a pout, before shrugging it off and grinning again, "I'd love to have a fight against a Wendigo. It's big, fast and strong, and the only way to kill it is by setting it on fire. I wanna set one on fire, see it burst into flames".

Jondy scrunches up her face, "you're gross".

Alec just shrugs, "ghost get boring after a while… I mean, I do love hunting down a ghost…but just once I'd like to-".

"Set something on fire?" Jondy smirks.

"Or just have a really good fight with something…It's kinda hard to fight a ghost, you know…cuz you know, you kinda just go through them".

"Jondy, Alec. It's time to go" Dean calls from the Impala.

The children shuffle towards the Impala, aware of the confused look Sam was shooting at Dean and clamber into it.

Alec turns to Ben with a single eyebrow raised asking the unspoken question of 'what did I miss'?

"We aren't going to Pennsylvania anymore" Ben says as Sam and Dean enter the Impala, "dad got a call from on old friend, her dad's dead and she thinks it was our kind of thing".

"But what about Pennsylvania?" Alec asks. There looked to be a ghost hunt up there so that Jondy could see for herself that the supernatural is real.

"Another hunter will deal with that" Dean drives out of the gas station.

Both twins share a look between each other. They knew something was going on, because they knew their dad. They just aren't sure what. So, for now, Ben and Alec will just do what one of the things they were taught in Manticore, wait and observe quietly.

The ride goes by without much talking for the first twenty minutes or so. Dean's music playing through out the Impala while the three transgenics play quietly in the back. Ben doodling and colouring on some paper, Alec playing with a mixture of army men and Lego, and Jondy sat in the middle drawing little doodles of her own, with her teddy cuddled under her arm which she still had yet to name.

Sam eventually just can't take it anymore and turns off the music and looks over at Dean, "by ' _old friend'_  you mean...?"

"A friend that's not new" Dean poorly avoids.

Sam rolls his eyes, "oh yeah, thanks. So, her name's Cassie huh? You never mentioned her…"

"Didn't I?"

"Nope" Alec answers the rhetorical question and Ben shoots him with a look telling him to shut up.

Dean can see Sam from the corner of his eye staring at him expectantly, sighing he says, "yeah, we went out".

"You mean you dated somebody? For more than one night" Sam looks at his brother with surprise written on his face.

The twins and Jondy start to play slowly and quietly so that they can concentrate on the men's conversation. Alec starts getting a horrified look on his face.

"Dated…as in you, like…kissed her?" Alec shudders.

Dean rolls his eyes.

"That's gross" Alec frowns.

"I'll remind you of that in about five years" Dean huffs before turning back to Sam, "am I speaking a language you're not getting here? Dad and I were working a job in Ohio, she was finishing up college. We went out for a couple of weeks".

"And…?" Sam waits, but all Dean does is shrug, "look, it's terrible about her dad, but it kinda sounds like a standard car accident. I'm not seeing how it fits with what we do".

"How does she know what we do? Is she a hunter too?" Ben asks.

Sam's expression slowly starts morphing in to his pissed off bitch face, when he sees Dean looking shifty, "you told her. You told her, the secret! Our big family rule number one. We do what we do, and we shut up about it. For a year and a half, I do nothing but lie to Jessica, and you go out with this chick in Ohio a couple of times and you tell her everything?"

Dean stays silent, staring straight ahead. The twins themselves were a little shocked. During all the time that they've know their dad, they've learnt that when it comes to hunting and the supernatural, he stuck to the rules.

"Dean!" Sam glares at his brother.

"Yeah. Looks like" is all Dean responds with as he stares ahead and put's his foot down, trying to ignore Sam's bitch face.

Jondy just quietly flickers her eyes from Ben, to Sam, to Dean, to Alec, and then back to Ben.

…Well this is now a little awkward and uncomfortable. Jondy tightens her hold on her bear. She didn't like awkward and uncomfortable. It made her chest feel tight.

* * *

 

"This happens a lot, by the way" Alec pouts, arm resting on the window with his chin lay on his arms, eyes locked on to the building that Sam and Dean just walked into. "Us getting left in the stupid car…no offence Baby".

Ben rolls his eyes at his brother, while Jondy lets a little smirk fall on her lips.

"It's not like they're even going to be in there long, nor are they solving the hunt in there. Dad and uncle Sam are just grabbing this 'Cassie' and then they'll be back" Ben shrugs, though both Alec and Jondy heard the slight hint of animosity in Ben's voice when he talked about Cassie.

Ben already wasn't this 'Cassie' woman's biggest fan. Sure, he didn't actually know her…but what he did know was that she had done something to upset his dad. Of course, he hasn't actually said anything…he hardly said anything on the drive here. But Ben could sense it, just like whenever Dean's scared or anxious. He could feel that, since Cassie's call, his dad's felt a little…off, and nervous too.

He knew Alec could sense it too.

Jondy isn't as in tune with the Winchesters as he and Alec are, so she probably couldn't sense anything thing, but the tension in the Impala on the drive here definitely gave away that something was going on.

Ben was just hoping that this hunt will be quick and easy, so they can move on soon.

…Did he just jinx himself?

"Sooooo" Alec sighs, trying to get rid of the awkwardness.

"So" Ben mumbles.

"So" Jondy presses her lips together.

"Have you thought of a name for him, or her, yet?" Alec turns from the window to Jondy.

Jondy shakes her head, "no…I don't know what you're supposed to call a stuffed toy bear".

"Like I said, Robert and Sally, great names. No pressure".

"It's yours, which means you can call it whatever you want" Ben shrugs.

He knew that she was still adjusting to everything, like he and Alec had to when they first met Dean and John. It took awhile before they actually started to believe that things they got given, like the army men and colouring pens, were theirs to keep.

"I still don't know what to call him…but  _he_ is not an  _it_ " Jondy says, staring down at the bear.

"Maybe later we can ask uncle Sam to search for popular bear names on his laptop. You might find one you like for…him" Ben suggests. 

Jondy smiles, "yeah".

Alec sit's up in his seat and presses his face against the window, "dad and uncle Sam are coming. That must be Cassie".

Ben scrambles over Jondy, and nudges Alec over to give him some room at the window. The twins title their heads to the left just slightly as they observe Dean and Cassie.

They guess she looks pretty, but they're nine. Girls don't look overly pretty to them, they mostly just have cooties… Jondy doesn't though because she's their sister, and you can't get cooties from your sister, just other girls.

They could easily see that both their dad and Cassie seem to be unsure around each other, though their dad showing it a little more so… But, again, that could just be because they know him better then they knew her.

Listening into the conversation, all they hear is Cassie giving them her address and saying she'll meet them there.

Alec and Ben watch as Sam starts walking back towards them, while Dean and Cassie hesitate for a second, staring at each other, before Dean turns and follows after Sam.

Ben frowns as he moves back to his seat. His dad was definitely not quite his normal self. He was nervous… Not like he was back in Lawrence at their old house. This was a different kind of nervousness.

Sam and Dean slide back into the Impala, and Dean starts the engine up.

"So, we're going to her house" Jondy states, not even pretending that she wasn't eavesdropping, "Then she'll tell us about this ghost?"

"That's the plan" Sam nods, as Dean drives off after Cassie.

* * *

 

The Impala pulls up in front of a large country house, that kinds looks a little creepy in the dark, and they see Cassie getting out of her car. Sam gets out first, opening the backdoor for the boy's and Jondy to shimmy out. Dean climbs out after them, taking in a deep breath.

Cassie's eyes zero in on the children, in particular the two boys who look an awful lot like Dean.

"Huh…you weren't kidding when you said you now had kids" she says awkwardly.

"Yep" Dean nods, "Ben is in blue, Alec's in red, and this is Jondy".

"So, you have your hands full…are you going to be able to…help with…this problem?"

Alec rolls his eyes, "dad can help with whatever may have killed your dad and his friend".

"They know about everything" Dean waves his arm out as non-verbally to explain that 'everything' meant the supernatural.

"Well, you best come in".

The group follow Cassie inside and she shows them to the lounge.

"Make yourselves comfy, I'll grabs some drinks".

"Milks fine for the kids" Dean says as he sits down on the couch.

Cassie's walks off and in to the kitchen as Sam sits next to Dean.

Ben sits on the arm of the couch next to Dean, and Alec sits on the arm next to Sam. While Jondy is squashed into the middle of the couch, in-between Sam and Dean.

Silence falls between the group until Cassie returns carrying in a tray of tea and milk. Putting the try down on a side table she turns hand hands the milk to the boys and Jondy.

"My mothers in pretty bad shape. I've been staying with her. I wish she wouldn't go off by herself. She's been so nervous and frightened. She was worried about dad".

"Why?" Dean asks.

"He was scared. He was seeing things" Cassie says with her back to the group as she pours the tea into cups.

"Like what?"

"He swore he saw an awful-looking black truck following him".

"A truck. Who was the driver?" Sam inquires.

"He didn't talk about a driver. Just the truck. He said it would appear and disappear. And, in the accident, Dad's car was dented, like it had been slammed into by something big" she hands them their drinks.

"Thanks. Now you're sure this dent wasn't there before?" Sam continues as Dean looks at his cup of tea in almost disgusted confusion. He quickly puts the cup down on the side table, while Ben grins at him.

"Shhh" Dean whispers, winking at the boy.

"He sold cars. Always drove a new one. There wasn't a scratch on that thing. It had rained hard that night. There was mud everywhere. There was a distinct set of muddy tracks leading from dad's car...leading right to the edge, where he went over", Cassie bows her head, getting her emotions under control, "one set of tracks. His".

"The first was a friend of your fathers?" Dean asks.

"Best friend. Clayton Soames. They owned the car dealership together. Same thing. Dent. No Tracks. And the cops said exactly what they said about dad. He 'lost control of his car".

"So…a ghost truck?... Cool" Alec states, and Sam pokes him in his side, indicating to the boy to keep quiet.

"Can you think of any reason why your father and his partner might be targets?" Dean ignores Alec.

"No" Cassie shakes her head.

"And you think this vanishing truck ran them off the road?" Sam questions.

"When you say it aloud like that…listen, I'm a little sceptical about this…ghost stuff…or whatever it is you guys are into".

Dean scoffs, "sceptical... If I remember, I think you said I was nuts".

"That was then".

Cassie and Dean stare at each other, while Sam and the twin look at the pair uncomfortably.

"This is now an awkward atmosphere and conversation" Jondy just blurts out in the usual way kids do, not realising that it was one of those things that you think but don't say.

Cassie coughs as though to clear the awkwardness away, "I just know that I can't explain what happened up there. So, I called you".

The sound of the front door opening stops the conversation from going further, and a middle-aged woman walks into the room.

Sam and Dean rise to their feet to be polite, quickly followed by the twins. Jondy frowns in confusion, not understanding why they had to stand, by slowly following their lead.

"Mom. Where have you been, I was so-" Cassie stands by her mother's side.

Mrs Robinson cuts off her daughter, "I had no idea you'd invited friends over".

"Mom, this is Dean, a…friend of mine from…college. And his brother Sam, and his kids".

"Well I won't interrupt you".

"Mrs Robinson. We're sorry for your loss. We'd like to talk to you for a minute if you don't mind?" Dean asks.

"I'm really not up for that right now" Mrs Robinson leaves the room, while everyone else left in the room share a look.

* * *

 

The next day, the Impala is driving down the road when Dean slows up as they approach the scene of a car accident, and they can see Cassie talking to the Mayor.

"What's going on?" Dean keeps his eyes on Cassie and the Mayor, but shifts in his seat towards the twins slightly.

"Some guy called Jimmy… that's his car. He's dead" Alec says.

"From what Cassie is saying, it seems like it's the same thing that happed to her dad and his friend" Ben adds.

"She does not sound very pleased" Jondy frowns.

"Right, wait here. Me and Sam are going to go help her out" Dean gives the boys, mostly Alec, a quick look, before climbing out of the car with Sam on his heels.

The three transgenic's watch Sam and Dean walk over towards Cassie and the Mayor, and listen to the conversation.

"What is it exactly you want me to do?" the Mayor asks Cassie.

"How bout closing this section of road for starters?"

"Close the main road. The only road in and out of town? Accidents do happen Cassie, and that's what they are. Accidents".

They may only be nine-year-old boys, new to the outside world…but they knew what not to say to a woman who was already pissed off a certain subject.

Clearly, the Mayor did not.

The twins thought it was lucky for the Mayor that their dad and uncle Sam approach when they did.

"Did the cops check for additional dinting on Jimmy's car, see if it was pushed?" Dean asks as he stands behind Cassie.

"Who's this?" the Mayor raises an eyebrow at the two Winchesters.

"Dean and Sam Winchester. Family friends" Cassie introduces them, "this is Mayor Harold Todd".

"There's one set of tire tracks. One…doesn't point to foul play" Mayor Todd concludes.

"Mayor, the police and town officials take their cues from you. If you're indifferent about…"

"Indifferent!"

"Would you close the road if the victims were white".

Wow…Ben and Alec share a look. This chick didn't need their dad or uncle Sam's help, she was scary and determined. They kinda felt a little worried for the Mayor's safety.

…If she had lasers for eyes, that poor bastard would be gone.

"You suggesting I'm racist Cassie? I'm the last person you should talk to like that" the Mayor looked and sounded affronted.

"And why is that".

"Why don't you ask your mother" the Mayor says before walking off, leaving Cassie, Dean and Sam standing with confused looks on their faces.

Alec groans, falling back in his seat, "why can't people ever just say whatever it is, instead of peeking our interests and then saying, 'go ask someone else'. I mean, really? Has that dude never watched a horror film? Because people who do that  _always_  die next!"

* * *

 

The group of five are back at the motel. Jondy is sat next to Ben on the floor with her bear, occasionally joining in with him and Alec as they build with the Lego, but mostly watching Sam and Dean as they adjust the suits they are wearing.

They explained that as part of their job they sometimes had to lie and pretend to be cops or something, to help solve the hunt and kill the monster.

This time around they are pretending to be from some insurance company so that they can talk to one of Jimmy's friends. Hopefully finding out something that can help with the hunt, as at the moment they don't have much to go on.

…other than Alec insisting that it's a ghost truck.

Sam picks up his jacket, "I'll say this for her, she's fearless".

Dean just hums as he fixes up his tie in the mirror.

"Bet she kicked your ass a couple of times", Sam grins as Dean glances at him, "what's interesting is you guys never really look at each other at the same time. You look at her when she's not looking, she checks you out when you look away. It's just a…just an interesting observation in a…you know…observationally interesting way".

"Its gross is what it is" Alec mumbles, to bothering to look up from the Lego.

Dean rolls his eyes at Alec before replying to Sam, "you think we might have more pressing issues here?"

"Hey, if I'm hitting a nerve" Sam tries to hide his smile.

"Let's go" Dean glares at his brother, who just laughs. Turning to the children, Dean crouches down, "right, you boys know the rules-".

"Keep the door locked at all times, don't leave the room, salt the door once you go-" Alec begins to list off.

"And if something breaks in shoot first" Ben finishes.

Dean nods and ruffles both boys hair, "good. Watch each other's backs and look out for Jondy".

"I'm a genetically enhanced super soldier" Jondy blinks.

"I know, it's just for my peace of mind, especially because you're newer to this world then the boys are", Dean smiles and ruffles her hair also before standing, "We should be back in a few hours, you have our numbers if you need us. There's food in the fridge as well as milk".

Ben and Alec jump up. Alec wrapping his arms around Sam and Ben hugging Dean. There are a couple of mumbled 'love you's', before the boys switch over and hug the other brother.

Sam straightens Ben's hair out, from when Dean had ruffled it up, as the boy pulls away, "We'll be back soon".

"Bye" Ben nods as he follows them to the door so that he can lock and salt it.

"If you want to bring back some pie on your way back, that's totally fine" Alec shrugs as he sits back down next to his Lego.

"He is definitely your clone" Sam shakes his head as he walks out the door.

Dean grins as he steps out the door before pausing and looking back at Jondy before he leaves, "by the way, an awesome name for a bear is Dean the Second".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to go with this episode of supernatural because the next two after it are 'Nightmare' and 'The Benders'. To me, I think it will be a little difficult to include the twins in those two episodes, especially 'The Benders' episode, so I came up with an idea.
> 
> Like I wanted, Jondy is staying with the boys so that she can get comfortable and see the supernatural, and be with Ben and Alec. After this episode Sam and Dean will take her to Bobby's and they plan on staying a while to get her settled in, but then Sam will have the vision of Max killing his dad like in 'Nightmare'. So, Dean decides that Ben and Alec will stay with Jondy at Bobby's while he and Sam deal with his vision. On their way back from that hunt, they Sam will get taken by the crazy people, so it leads right into 'The Benders' episode.
> 
> After that they get back to Bobby's and Ben and Alec re-join them on the road, with Jondy staying with Bobby.
> 
> I figured that this was the best way around those two episodes, because I can't see a way to fit the twins in. Plus, it means you guys get a chapter or so on the twins chilling with 'Grampa Bobby'.
> 
> Anyway, please kudos and bookmark if you're enjoying my story, and I love those reviews too.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	26. Route 666 (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next part. At first, I thought that I could do this episode in two chapters, but when I started writing I realised that nope, it will have to be three chapters.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 26.  
Episode 13 (Route 666).

For the next few hours the twins introduced Jondy to the wonders of television, or more specifically the programs on the television. It was important to educate Jondy so that she could blend in with everyone...or at least that's the line they will give to dad and uncle Sam if they catch them watching telly past bedtime.

…Even though they never actually go to sleep if they are left in the motel by themselves. Sure, they'll get ready for bed and lay in the bed, but they won't sleep until uncle Sam and dad get back.

So, soon after uncle Sam and dad had left, the twins had pulled her to the bed, turned on the telly and flicked through the shows until they landed on one of the most important and best shows in the world… Scooby-Doo.

That talking dog is awesome.

This was one of the first programs they had ever seen. Dad had introduced it to them a few days after they bumped into each other, because he said it was a classic that every child should watch, and it quickly became one of their favourites, along with Looney Toons.

Most mornings the boys will be sat watching either show quietly while waiting for either uncle Sam or dad to wake up. Usually when dad wakes up first, he'll join them, also getting engrossed in the episode, because  _'Scooby-Doo is awesome'_  is his defence…and something about Daphne being hot.

Anyway, Jondy had started off confused by the whole thing, but after a couple of episodes she got captivated in it.

In fact, the transgenic children are so stuck into the television that they missed the sound of the Impala pulling into the motel parking lot.

They didn't however miss the sound of knocking at the door.

"It me" Sam's voice comes from behind the door.

"Me who?" Alec asks, walking over to the door.

"You know exactly who I am Alec" they could all hear the eyeroll.

Alec unlocks the door and lets Sam in, "I think we should have some kind of password, so we know who's on the other side of the door".

"You have super senses. You know if it's me or your dad at the door before we've reached the door" Sam places a box of pie on the table, "and if its not me or your dad, then you know not to answer it".

"But still, having a password for the door is cool. It's like we're spies" Alec grins.

Sam shakes his head with a grin on his face.

"You're back later then you should have been…and where's dad?" Ben asks.

"Uh…he's talking to Cassie some more" Sam says as casually as he could but knows he failed when he get's three raised eyebrows looking at him. Time to distract, "I figured you lot would still be up past your bedtime-".

"It's important to educate Jondy on things that normal children watch so that she can blend in with everyone" Alec defends.

"Yes, this talking dog has been very educational" Jondy nods in agreement.

"-so, I got some pie to snack on, then it'll be bed" Sam finishes.

"And dad will be back by the time we go to bed" Ben looks at Sam.

It was time like these that Sam was really reminded that these boys are his brothers clones, because that look that Ben was giving him was exactly one that Dean would give. It was the 'don't-bullshit-me' 'I-can-tell-if-you-lie-to-me' 'just-try-it' face.

"I don't know, they may be talking for a while. Plus, he'll have to walk back…he may have to just spend the night there. A house that big will have a spare room".

"Or Cassie can drive dad back…or dad can call you and you can pick him up".

"It'll probably be easier for him to stay there" Sam opens the pie box up, trying not to look at the child.

"But dad's stuff is here so, it's easier for him to come back" Ben insists.

"Let's just eat the pie" Sam says.

Up until that point Alec had been about to take a mouthful of pie, happy to let his brother handle the situation of their dad not being here… However, now Sam was trying way to hard to distract them and it made Alec pause.

…the pie…uncle Sam was using one of their favourite food to try and distract them.

"You're diverting and distracting" Jondy states, "and not very well".

Alec narrows his eyes and drops the forkful of pie, "why is dad not coming back?"

"I said he might not come back, it depends how long it takes him to talk to Cassie" Sam knew he was screwed now both boys had turned on him.

"No, you got the pie to distract us, because you already knew dad wasn't coming back" Alec crosses his arms.

"Besides, if dad was talking to Cassie about the hunt, then why aren't you there to?" Ben also folds his arms.

Sam groans, even Jondy had her arms folded and was staring at him. If Dean doesn't sort things out with Cassie and get laid…he will honestly kill him.

"Okay, you know that your dad and Cassie know each other. That they had dated" Sam sighs.

"Ahh, yes. Thank you for reminding us of that grossness" Alec nods, "continue".

"Well, that's what they are talking about" he hopes anyway, "they are going to sort out their feelings for each other".

Alec beings fake vomiting and Ben frowns, "but dad doesn't do 'chick-flick' moments, unless it's me or Alec. Even then he doesn't do feelings all that much because he's dad".

"Yeah, I know, but sometimes you just have to talk your feelings out" Sam shrugs, this was so not a conversation he wants to have. This should be Dean's job.

"He can talk his feelings out with us instead of her. She's the one who's been making dad act all weird this whole hunt, so really he should limit the amount he interacts with her".

"Well that's why he has to talk to Cassie. To make everything less weird-".

"That's fine, but why isn't dad coming back here?" Alec asks.

Sam sighs, "because it could be a very long…talk".

"They can talk over the phone" Ben challenges.

"This sort of talk needs to be face to face".

"They aren't going to be kissing are they!" Alec suddenly panics, "cuz that's gross and dad will get cooties".

Hopefully he should be doing a lot more then kissing or Sam will be pissed that he had to deal with this for nothing, "I'm sure that they will just be talking. It'll just be a long talk".

"So long that he can't come back" Ben raises an eyebrow.

"Yes".

"They should have talked earlier today so that he would be back".

"Yeah, well unfortunately that's just the way things have gone" Sam prays that's the final word on the matter, even though both twins have pointed looks, raised eyebrows and crossed arms.

The room is silent for a moment and Sam's worried the boys are gearing up for round two.

"What kind of pie is it?" Jondy asks with a tilt of her head, feeling that the situation of where Dean is, had been solved…at least enough for her anyway.

* * *

Sam was finally drifting off to sleep in his bed with the three little transgenic's tuck into Dean's bed. It had been a long night.

First, his pie distraction hadn't worked, the only one who ate anything was Jondy. Sam, himself, could only eat a couple of mouthfuls because he had two little eyes silently burning holes into the back of his head. Then all three children got ready for bed quietly. Too quietly for Sam's liking. It was un-nerving to have Alec so silent. He even got into bed without a fuss, which honestly was a little worrying. He tried to get the kid to perk up a little by telling him that it looked like he was right about the ghost truck and filling them in on everything else he and Dean had found out…but nope. They just nodded and kept silent.

Now though, the lights are off and everyone is in bed. He can hear the boys moving around in the bed, rolling over. Neither child sounds like they can get comfy, and Sam has a pretty good idea of why that is.

"Uncle Sam" a small voice reaches out from the darkness. Sam's not quite sure which boy it is though.

Sighing to himself, he opens his duvet, "come on", and in a flash two little boys are in his bed and curled up on either side of him.

Jondy stayed snuggled up in Dean's bed, cuddled up with her teddy, happy that Ben and Alec had left because they kept kicking her with all their unnecessary moving in the bed.

While Ben and Alec fall asleep quickly enough, Sam was wondering just how the hell Dean slept with these two boys either side of him at night, because they felt like little heaters. Somehow though, he eventual drifted off.

* * *

Due to a bit of a freak weather storm, even though it was only June, there is snow on the ground. This was the second time that the boys have seen snow since running from Manticore. The first time it snowed, they had been a bit apprehensive about it because their previous experience involved running bare foot in the snow with soldiers shooting at them. However, Dean had showed them just how much fun snow could be.

At the moment though, the twins couldn't careless about the snow on the ground. Their dad wasn't there to play in it with them. Plus, they couldn't even play at the moment if they wanted to because the Mayor had to go and get himself killed. Just like Alec said he would because he said those stupid last words that soon-to-be dead people always say in films.

So right now, the twins and Jondy are sitting patiently in the back off the Impala that is parked a little bit away from the crime scene while Sam talks to some cops.

As Dean hadn't returned to the motel that morning the twins were in a foul mood, which didn't get any better when Sam had told them to wait in the car.

Logically they knew they had to wait in the car, but they didn't care at the moment. They miss their dad.

Alec is keeping watch for Dean out one side of the Impala, while Ben is on the other. Jondy is sat in the middle playing with some of Alec's army men.

"There he is!" Ben exclaims, pressing himself up against the glass of the window.

Alec and Jondy move themselves so that the can watch as Dean treads through the snow towards Sam. The group of kittens use their heighten hearing to listen in on the conversation since Sam didn't park the Impala far enough for them to be out of hearing range.

"He's with me" Sam says to the cop, who nods and walks away. They can't see either brothers face as Sam turns to Dean, "where were you last night? You didn't make it back to the hotel".

"Well..."

"I'm guessing you guys worked things out?... No, you better have worked things out because I didn't deal with Ben and Alec's interrogation and silent treatment for nothing. Also, how do you sleep with them every night? They're like little heaters that don't turn off".

"They slept with you?"

"Well you weren't there, and they couldn't get to sleep. I think they're just used to sleeping next to someone…or more specially sleeping with you in the room at the very least. It was a new thing for them" Sam shrugs, "but seriously, heaters. The pair off them".

"I think I'm just used to their heat by now… They interrogated you?"

"Yeah, they were not happy with you not coming back to the motel. They wouldn't let up, not even when I tried distracting Alec with pie".

"Alec didn't eat pie?"

"Nope".

"What did you tell them?"

"First I said that you were talking to Cassie about the hunt-".

"They're too smart to go for that" Dean shakes his head.

"Yeah, I figured that out when Ben pulled of one of your don't bullshit me looks. In the end I just told them the truth. You went to Cassie's to talk about your feelings" Sam pauses before snorting, "Alec was so worried that you would start kissing instead of talking, leading you to get-".

"Cooties. Yeah. Genetically empowered super soldiers with high IQ's and they think cooties is a thing".

"I just said that you would stick with just talking. The talk of what you and Cassie actually got up to, is not my job and I wasn't about to tell him that you did a lot more then kissing when he can't even handle the kissing" Sam shakes his head, "It's at moments like those I wonder how they can be your clones".

"Hey, it'll come with age…then again…I think I'd rather them believe in cooties till they're twenty-five" Dean nods his head, as though agreeing with himself.

Ben and Alec share looks with each other. Frankly neither of them wanted to know what more the kissing meant. They both shudder with the thought of something worse then kissing.

…Plus, their dad now had cooties, so they can't hug or touch him for the next few hours till all the cooties are gone, because cooties are a real thing. The boys at the park from all those months ago, had told them so.

"Right anyway, what happened?" Dean asks.

"Every bone crushed. Internal organs turned to pudding. The cops are all stumped, it's like something ran him over" Sam explains.

"Something like a truck?"

"Yep".

"Tracks?"

"Nope" Sam shakes his head.

"What was the Mayor doing here anyway?"

"He owned the property. Bought it a few weeks ago".

"But he's white, he doesn't fit the pattern".

"Killings didn't happen up on the road. That doesn't fit either" Sam shrugs.

"We need some more info to try and figure this out" Dean says, and they start heading towards the Impala, "I'll go back to the newspaper, see if there's any links with the killing's back in the 60's with what's going on now. You can check out for any information and links down at the courthouse".

"Right and you wanting to do your research at the newspaper has nothing to do with Cassie?" Sam smirks.

"Shut up…and give me back my keys".

Sam rolls his eyes, smirk still present on his face, and throws over the keys as they reach the Impala. Climbing in, Dean turns around and grins at the children in the back.

"Hey kittens, miss me last night?"

He's hit with two raised eyebrows and unamused looks with arms crossed, followed with the silent treatment.

Sam scoffs, "now you're getting what I got".

"Shut up bitch".

"Jerk".

Dean start the engine and drives off down the road. Barely a minute passed before the silence breaks into an awkward atmosphere thanks to Jondy.

"So, what is more than kissing?" she asks innocently.

Dean almost swerves in shock before quickly gaining his composure, "what?"

"Well back at the crime scene Sam said that you and Cassie did more than just kissing. What's that?"

Dean glares at Sam, "really? You forgot to park further away so they couldn't hear".

"Oh, like you remembered their enhanced hearing back there" Sam says sarcastically.

"You haven't answered the question father" Alec say's tightly.

Dean raises an eyebrow, "father? Really?"

"Is that why you didn't come back to the motel? Because you were… 'more than kissing' with Cassie when you were supposed to be just talking" Ben tries not to sound resentful.

"We-".

Alec interrupts Dean, "now you have cooties. Which, yes. They are a real thing".

"I-".

Ben interrupts Dean next, "we were worried about you… You didn't even call us. Anything could have happened to you and we wouldn't have known".

"Hold up. When did you two become the parents and me the child" Dean says rhetorically, "I am a grown up, and I don't need your permission to go out. Okay yes, I should have called you to let you know I was fine, but I'm the parent and you're the children. I don't need the all clear from you two".

Sam just sits back and tries to hold back his sniggering.

"Okay, you are right. Cooties are real. However, you can't get them after you turn twenty-five" Dean tells Alec, "and yes, I was…'more than…kissing' Cassie", Dean bites out awkwardly, "but again that's something that you can't do till your twenty-five, so we won't go into details about it now".

Alec and Ben share a look and a small, quick nod, before Alec opens his mouth, "we are both still mad at you for not coming back or calling us".

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you".

Alec huffs, "we'll see".

Ben bites his lips. They knew that their dad had told Cassie about the supernatural when he shouldn't have… He trusts his dad, but what if…he told Cassie the truth about them. He seems to lose his sense around her, which Ben didn't like. If their dad wasn't focused he could get hurt. Ben didn't think that he would tell Cassie…but then again, he wasn't supposed to have told her about the monsters in the night.

"Dad…" Ben calls.

Dean sense the change in Ben. The boy's gone from mad to worried, "what's up Squirt?"

"You…you didn't tell Cassie the truth about… Alec and me? Did you?"

"What's there to tell? She already knows the truth…you two are my boys end of story".

"So, you didn't tell her how we were…created?"

"No, she doesn't know the details. Cassie only knows the important bit, that you're mine".

Ben grins and Alec sighs with a smile threatening to appear, "okay, fine…we're a little less mad at you".

Dean grins back, happy that the situation had been defused.

After dropping Sam off, Dean had gone to the newspaper with the three transgenics in toe, because Ben and Alec insisted on going with him, clearly not wanting him to be alone with Cassie again.

…this could be a problem for the future. He's found that women seem more interested in him since he had the boys, and that is always good… However, if the boys are going to be…possessive and clingy, this could be a problem. One he's going to have to try and put a stop to.

He loves his boys…but he's a twenty-seven-year-old man…he's got needs.

"Here" Cassie hands over a mug of tea.

Ben giggles to himself, knowing Dean hates tea.

"Thanks" Dean tries not to grimace at the sight of the tea, "so, I'm trying to find some link between those killings back in the '60s and what's going on now. There wasn't a lot about it in the paper".

"Not surprising. Probably minimal policework too. Back then equal justice under the law wasn't too literal around here".

"Well, that's not right" Jondy frowns.

"That's just the way it was back then sweetie" Cassie sighs.

Dean's phone rings, he sees it's Sam and puts it on speaker, "yeah".

"Ok, the courthouse records show that Mr and Mrs Mayor bought an abandoned property. The previous owner was the Dorian family for, like, 150 years".

"Dorian?"

"Yeah".

Dean turns to Cassie, "didn't you say the Dorian family used to own this paper?"

Cassie nods "along with everything else around here. Real pillars of the town".

"Right, right" Dean clicks a few links on the computer, before humming, "that's interesting".

"What?" Sam asks.

"This Cyrus Dorian. He vanished in April of '63. The case was investigated but never solved. It was right around the time the string of murders was going on back then".

"Well I pulled a bunch of papers up on the Dorian place, it must have been in bad shape when the Mayor bought".

"Why do you think that?" Ben asks.

"The first thing he did was bulldoze the place".

"Mayor Todd knocked down the Dorian place?" Dean asks Cassie.

"It was a big deal. One of the oldest houses left. He made the front page".

"You got a date?" Dean asks Sam.

"Uh… The 3rd of last month".

Dean clicks around on the computer a bit more before reading some text, "Mayor Todd bulldozed the Dorian family home on the 3rd. The first killing was the very next day".

"Coincidence? I think not" Alec shakes his head.

"So… the ghost is connected to the Dorian family?" Jondy asks.

"Looks like it" Dean nods as he prints out the articles he'd found.

"Great, we're a step closer to finishing this hunt" Ben grins.

* * *

 

Sam hands Cassie a cup of tea to try and help calm her, while Dean sits next to her on the couch. Ben is squeezed on next to Dean with Jondy sat next to him on the arm of the chair. Mrs Robinson is sat on one of the chairs opposite and Sam sits in the other chair with Alec standing next to him, but leaning against the side of it.

After leaving the newspaper and picking up Sam, the group had gone to a diner to have some food before returning back to the motel to put all the information together and figure out the next move. Only a couple of hours into it, Dean's phone had rung with Cassie on the other end of it because the ghost truck had appeared at her house. So, of course the five of them, Dean leading the pack, headed straight down to the house.

Which is where they all are now, sat in the Robinson's lounge.

The cup in Cassie's hand rattles, due to her shakiness, "maybe you could throw a couple of shots in that".

"You didn't see who was driving the truck" Sam asks.

"It seemed to be no one. Everything was moving so fast. And then it was just gone. Why didn't it kill us?"

"Whoever was controlling the truck wants you afraid first" Dean explains.

"And that's why some horror movies don't have higher body counts, because the killers mess around just scaring people for most of the movie, wasting what could have been killing time" Alec rolls his eyes.

Sam turns to Dean with one of his bitchfaces, "you actually let them watch horror movies".

"No" Dean says way to quickly, "…maybe a couple, but only the crappy ones that aren't really that scary".

"Let's face it, Freddy could have killed more people had he not messed around with scaring them first and just got straight to killing" Alec shrugs.

"Who's Freddy?" Jondy tilts her head to the side slightly.

"Whoa, I did not let them watch that one" Dean defends himself when Sam's bitchface hardens, he looks at Alec, "when the hell did you watch 'A Nightmare On Elm Street'?"

"Ages ago" Ben pipes up, "it was after a hunt, so you were worn out and asleep," he turns to Jondy, "Freddy is a character in a horror movie".

"We weren't so tired, so instead of waking you up because we were board, we decided to watch some telly", Alec says, "that was one of the things that happened to be on".

Dean groans and closes his eyes for a second. This was not the time or place for this, "we will discuss this later".

Both boy's pout and frown at their dad, while Jondy's eyebrows cross in confusion. She'll have to watch this movie with this 'Freddy' character at some point.

Sam sighs before turning to Cassie's mother, "Mrs Robinson, Cassie said that your husband saw the truck before he died".

Cassie watch her mother almost pale, "mom?"

"…Oh… Martin was under a lot of stress. You can't be sure about what he was seeing".

"Well after tonight I think we can be reasonably sure he was seeing a truck" Dean wants to scoff at the mother, "what happened tonight, you and Cassie are marked. Ok? Your daughter could die. So, if you know something now would be a really good time to tell us about it".

"Dean…" Cassie looks at him.

"Yes. Yes, he said he saw a truck" Mrs Robinson sighs sadly.

"Did he know who it belonged to?" Sam asks.

"He thought he did".

"And who was that?"

Mrs Robinson gets more visibly upset, "Cyrus. A man named Cyrus".

"What are the odds" Alec mutters.

Sam and Dean look at each other, before Dean grabs the articles that he had printed out earlier, from his bag and shows them to Mrs Robinson.

"Is this Cyrus?"

"Cyrus Dorian died more than 40 years ago".

"How do you know he died, Mrs Robinson? The paper's said he went missing. How do you know he died?" Dean questions softly.

Mrs Robinson frowns, "…we were all very young. I dated Cyrus while, I was also seeing Martin…in secret of course. Inter-racial couples didn't go over too well back then. When I broke it off with Cyrus and when he found out about Martin, I don't know, he, changed. His hatred. His hatred was frightening".

"The murders" Sam states.

"…There were rumours. People of colour disappearing into some kind of a truck. Nothing was ever done", Mrs Robinson sniffles, "Martin and I… Martin and I, we were going to be, uh, married in that little church near here, but last minute we decided to elope as we didn't want the attention".

"And Cyrus?"

Mrs Robinson sobs, "the day we set for the wedding, was the day someone set fire to the church. There was a children's choir practising in there. They all died".

After a short minute of silence, Ben asks softly, "did the attacks stop after that?"

"No", she chokes out more sobs, "there was one more. One night that truck came for Martin. Cyrus beat him something terrible. But Martin, you see, Martin got loose. And he started hitting Cyrus and he just kept hitting him and hitting him".

"Why didn't you call the cops?" Dean sighs.

"Equal justice under the law wasn't too literal around here" Jondy recites, remembering what Cassie had said earlier that day.

Mrs Robinson nods her head, tears rolling down her face, "this was forty years ago. He called on his friends, Clayton Soames and Jimmy Anderson, and they put Cyrus' body into the truck and they rolled it into the swamp at the end of his land and all three of them kept that secret for all of these years".

"And now all three are gone" Sam looks over to Dean.

"And so is Mayor Todd-" Dean begins.

"I'm pretty sure he's dead because of horror movie rules" Alec puts that out there.

Ben rolls his eyes, "Alec, shut up".

"Just saying".

"Well don't" Dean looks at the boy before turning back to Cassie's mother, "now he said that you of all people would know that he's not a racist. Why would he say that?"

"He was a good man. He was a young deputy back then investigating Cyrus' disappearance. Once he figured out what Martin and the others had done he…he did nothing, because he also knew what Cyrus had done" Mrs Robinson explains.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Cassie looks at her mother, shock written on her face.

"I thought I was protecting them… And now there's no one left to protect".

"Yes, there is" Dean looks at Cassie.

"If this was a horror movie, this would be when the screen cuts to black or the next scene for dramatic affect" Alec murmurs.

"Shut up with the movie comparisons" Ben groans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, next chapter will be that last one for this episode, and then the next chapter or two will be with Bobby!
> 
> As usual, please kudos and bookmark this story if you are enjoying. As well as reviewing, because those make my day.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	27. Route 666 (part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter Jondy is a little bit more involved than in the last two, I hope she fits in nicely. Not too much where she's over powering Ben and Alec, but she's doing more than just adding in a few words every now and then.
> 
> This is also the last chapter for this episode, after this the group will be knocking on Bobby's door. I have to say, I'm a little nervous about writing it but I will do my best for you guys.
> 
> Anyway, on with the chapter.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 27.  
Episode 13 (Route 666).

The three transgenics are sat in the Impala, under Dean's orders, away from the chilly wind that the night has brought…even though, as they have told him several times, they run naturally hot compared with normal people. They are sat in the front with the window rolled down and their heads poking out, so that they can remain involved in the conversation.

Sam is leaning against the Impala, while Dean paces up and down. They're still park outside Cassie's house while they figure out their next move.

"Ah, my life was so simple. Just school, exams…papers on polycentric cultural norms" Sam sighs.

Dean stops pacing and lean's next to Sam, "so, I guess I saved you from a boring existence".

"No kidding, I'd take a ghost any day" Alec grimaces at the thought of school. It just reminded him of the lessons they had back at Manticore.

"Yeah well, occasionally I miss boring" Sam says,

Dean rolls his eyes, "so, this killer truck".

"I miss conversations that didn't start with 'this killer truck'" Sam huffs.

"I love conversations that start with 'this killer truck'. I mean… come on. It's so cool" Alec grins.

"I actually agree with Alec a little bit…It makes it an interesting conversation" Ben nods.

Dean lets out a quick laugh before getting back to business, "well this Cyrus guy. Evil on a level that infected even his truck. When he died, the swamp became his tomb, and his spirit was dormant for 40 years".

"So, what woke it up?" Alec asks.

"The construction on his house. Or the destruction".

"Demolition or remodelling can awaken spirits, make them restless" Jondy pipes up.

Like with Ben and Alec, once they had told Jondy about the supernatural they had been teaching her about them. Specifically, about ghost so that she would be prepared for her first hunt.

Dean smiles at her, "that's right sweetheart".

"Like that theatre in Illinois, ya know?" Sam points out.

Dean nods, "and the guy that tore down the family homestead, Harold Todd, is the same guy that kept Cyrus' murder quiet and unsolved".

"So now his spirit is awakened and out for blood".

"Yeah, I guess. Who knows what ghosts are thinking anyway".

"Well, if their haunting and killing. I'm guessing it's not happy thoughts" Ben shrugs.

Dean raises a bemused eyebrow at the boy, surprised that the comment had come from Ben and not Alec since it was definitely something that Alec would have blurted out.

"You know we're going to have to dredge that body up from the swamp right" Sam wants to moan, "man".

"You said it" Dean grins.

"Yeah" Sam sighs.

Dean turns as he hears footsteps approach and stands when he sees it's Cassie.

"Hey".

"Hey. She's asleep. Now what?"

"Well you should stay put and look after her…and we'll be back. Don't leave the house".

Cassie playfully smiles "don't go getting all authoritative on me. I hate it".

Dean glances behind him to see Sam grinning at the ground, turning back to Cassie he mumbles, "don't leave the house please?"

That's when he hears a little boy snort with laughter and the other one shushing him. It was a pretty decent chance that the laughing twin was Alec…and he knew exactly how to shut the boy up.

Leaning in, he kisses Cassie and it definitely stops the laughing.

Alec backs away from the window and starts gagging and faking vomiting, while Ben pulls a disgusted face at his dad and Cassie making out. Jondy just scrunches her nose up at it and looks away.

Sam glances over at Dean and Cassie, and smirks before clearing his throat to try and detangle his brother. Dean, still kissing Cassie, holds up a finger to tell Sam to wait a minute.

"This is…like worse then Psy-Ops" Alec moans in horror.

Ben nods, "…I actually do think I feel a little sick".

"See dad. You're making your children sick".

Dean breaks the kiss and rolls his eyes. Giving Cassie an apologetic look, he says, "as you can tell, they like to be dramatic".

Cassie smirks, "I hardly noticed".

Turning around Dean walks back over and glances at Sam, "you comin' or what?" Dean opens his door and points to the backseats, "back you go Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee. You to princess".

"She gets princess, and we get dumb and dee" Alec pouts and he climbs into the back.

"Yep, you can fight between each other over which one of you is which" Dean slides in and starts the engine as Sam takes his seat.

"I think it should be obvious which one of us is Tweedle-dum" Ben mutters.

Alec narrows his eyes at Ben, "what's that supposed to mean".

"Nothing" Ben shrugs innocently with a slight smirk on his face.

"By the way, when I said, 'fight between each other', I didn't mean it literally" Dean quickly butts into the conversation before he had a boxing match in the back of his Baby.

* * *

 

The group arrived at the Dorian property, with a tractor to pull out Cyrus's truck from the water. The temperature dropped even more with snow now falling from the sky, so Dean had the children bundle up in their coats, ignoring all their protests about running warm.

Sam stands to the side ready to guide Dean, with Jondy and Ben stood next to him. The boy raising his head up every now and then and sticking out his tongue to catch snowflakes, Jondy mimicking him, though she had no idea what Ben was doing.

Dean is at the wheel of the tractor with Alec wedged on next to him, because why stand to the side when you can be sat on a tractor.

"All right. Let's get her up" Sam waves his arm as Dean starts pulling the truck from the water, "all right. A little more… Little more… All right, stop".

Dean turns off the engine and jumps down. Reaching up, he helps Alec down.

"Awesome" Alec grins.

"Hell yeah" Dean heads over to the trunk of the Impala.

"Now I know what she sees in you" Sam falls in step.

Dean opens the trunk, "what?"

"Come on man, you can admit it. You're still in love with her".

"You love her!" Ben eyes widen, he was not expecting that.

"Ahh, can we focus please" Dean hopes to change the subject.

"I'm just saying Dean" Sam smirks while shrugging his shoulders.

Ignoring Sam, Dean turns to Jondy, "alright sweetheart. What do we need?"

"Salt and gas…and flashlights for you and Sam" Jondy grins confidently as Dean grabs the salt and Sam grabs the gas and flashlights.

"Correct princess" Dean shuts the trunk, "ok, let's get this done".

"All right" Sam nods.

Alec lowers his head and pauses in his snowflake catching to look at Dean, "can I burn the body?"

"What?" Dean stares at the boy.

"He wants to set something on fire" Jondy shrugs.

"When you say it like that, it sounds a little bad" Alec says.

"A little?" Ben raises an eyebrow.

"Moving on…quickly" Dean interrupts, "and no, you're not setting fire to anything. You'll be ten steps back because chances are, you'll somehow trip and fall into the flames. Never known a cat to be so clumsy as you can be at times".

Alec pouts and shuffles behind the group as they walk over to Cyrus's trunk. They glance at each other before Dean mentally sighs and opens the door.

Cyrus's decayed body falls out like something from a horror movie.

"That's just gross" Jondy scrunches her nose up in disgust from the smell of the body.

"Yeah" Sam grimaces.

Ben and Alec pinch their noses to try and block the smell.

"All right let's get to it" Dean sighs.

Sam and Dean move the body on to some pallets of wood, with the transgenic standing a little bit away because of the smell.

"You want to do the honours sweetheart, and pour on the salt?" Dean shakes the can of salt in his hand as he turns to the children.

Jondy nods her head excitedly, she still had yet to actually see a ghost, but she trusts Ben and Alec and with everything that has been going on in this town with odd deaths, and the appearing and disappearing truck, she knew that something strange was definitely up.

Walking over to Dean, Jondy holds her breath to avoid the stench and takes the salt.

"Right, just sprinkle it all over the body" Dean stands behind the girl.

Jondy pours the salt over the body as Sam douses the body in gas. Once the body is nicely covered, Dean gently nudges Jondy to go stand back over by the twins. Pulling out his lighter, he sets the body on fire and the group watch the body burn.

"Think that'll do it?" Sam asks.

Just as Sam finishes that sentence, the ghost trunk appears with it's headlights on and engine revving.

"You just had to go and jinx it. Didn't you uncle Sam!" Alec groans.

"So, burning the body had no effect on that thing?" Sam panics.

"Sure it did. Now it's really pissed" Alec yells.

"Language" Dean mutters, trying to figure out a plan that involved keeping the truck away from his boys.

"But Cyrus' ghost is gone, right Dean? We salt and burned the body…that should have worked" Jondy stood wide eyed staring at the truck.

Dean starts walking over to the Impala, "apparently not the part that's fused with the truck".

"Where you are going?" Sam asks.

"Goin' for a little ride".

"What!" Ben squawks.

"Gonna lead that thing away. That busted piece of crap, you gotta burn it".

"How the hell am I supposed to burn a truck Dean?" Sam looks at him with confused panic.

"I don't know. Figure something out" Dean throws a bag at Sam.

Catching the bag Sam splutters, "figure some…something…".

"You boys stay with uncle Sam. Do what he tells you. You too Jondy" Dean slams the impala's door and turns on the engine.

"Dad!" Ben panics.

"Get down" Sam motions the children to get out of sight. He also crouches down out of sight.

Dean reverses the Impala and takes off quickly, with the truck roaring after him.

"Dad's lost his mind hasn't he" Alec stands up once the trucks gone.

"Yep" Sam mumbles as he quickly rummages through the bag to find John's journal, "don't worry. He'll be okay".

"Now what?" Ben says, his voice tight and worried.

"We find an alternative" Sam pulls out John's journal and starts flicking through it, hoping to find something.

"There's not much else other than salt and burning that gets rid of ghosts though…right?" Jondy frowns.

"Umm…they can't walk on holy ground, but it's not like you can get a truck inside a church" Ben says.

Sam looks up from the journal and grins at the boy, "you really are a genius".

Ben crosses his eyebrows in confusion. He didn't understand what he said that could have helped because trucks can't fit inside the door of a church…can they?

Sam starts searching for a map from the bag when his phone rings.

"Find a map" Sam pushes the bag over to the clones, figuring they'd have quicker luck with their night vision and speed, while he answers the phone.

"Hey, you gotta give me a minute".

"I don't have a minute. What are we doing?" Is Dean's agitated reply.

"Ahh. Let me get back to you" he hangs up quickly before Dean could say anything else and grabs the map that Alec holds out for him.

Looking at the map Sam dials Cassie's number, "hey Cassie? Hey, it's Sam, I need some information and it has to be exactly right".

"Anyone else really confused right now?" Alec pokes his hand in the air.

"Shhh" Ben mutters as they listen to Sam's end of the conversation.

"I need to know exactly where the church that Cyrus burned down is…it doesn't matter that it's gone, I just need to know where is was…yeah, right on the spot…".

"I think I get it now" Ben speaks slowly, the cogs turning in his head.

"I'm glad one of us does" Alec mutters.

"The church may be gone but-" Ben starts to explain.

"It would still be holy ground" Jondy concludes.

Ben nods, "exactly. It may still be able to get rid of the ghost".

"…I knew that" Alec says quickly.

Sam looks over the map, his fingers trailing over the lines, "…okay…thank you Cassie", hanging up Sam quickly rings Dean back, "all right, Dean? ...where are you? ...listen to me, this is important. I have to know exactly where you are…ok. Headed East?"

The twins are standing on their tiptoes, clinging on to Sam so that they can attempt to listen to Dean from over the phone. They've learnt over this past year that while they have enhanced hearing, it's still hard to hear phone conversations if they aren't close enough. They have no idea why, but it's annoying.

From the bits that they can pick up, they hear something hit the Impala and their dad swearing.

"Dad!" both twins feel the rush of panic race back through them.

"It's okay, he's fine" Sam tries to reassure them, while still concentrating on directing Dean to the church, "ok, Dean? …ahh, turn right! Up ahead, turn right…you make the turn? …all right, you see a road up ahead? …ok, turn left…this is important. You need to go seven tenths of a mile and then stop…exactly seven tenths Dean".

Everything was silent for a moment, before Alec couldn't take it any longer.

"What's happening?"

Sam shakes his head and shrugs before checking to make sure Dean wasn't dead, "Dean, You still there? …What's happening? …Just what you are doing, bringing it to you".

There's another silence and during this silence both Ben and Alec's hearts hammer hard against their chests.

"Dean. You still there? Dean?" Sam sighs in relief when Dean answers, "Dean, you're where the church was…the place Cyrus burned down. Murdered all those kids...Benny actually helped me figure it out. Church ground is hallowed ground, whether the church is still there or not. Evil spirits cross over hallowed ground, sometimes they're destroyed, so I figured, maybe, that would get rid of it…huh. Honestly that thought hadn't occurred to me", Sam shuts his phone after Dean hangs up on him.

"So, dad's okay?" Ben looks up at Sam.

"Yeah. He's okay" he pulls the child into a side hug.

"And the killer truck ghost is gone?" Jondy asks.

"Yeah, the holy ground destroyed it".

"And dad's definitely alive and okay?" Alec checks.

Sam nods, "he's on his way back right now".

"Good".

The group keep close to Cyrus's burning body so that the fire keeps them warm, even though the three transgenics don't really need to

"So, Jondy how was your first hunt?" Sam asks the little girl.

"To start with it was a little boring, but after the killer truck showed up it was a lot better" Jondy smiles.

"Frankly I think everything would get better if a killer truck just rocks up" Alec shrugs.

"No" Ben sighs.

"What?"

"Just no".

"Bu-".

"Stop".

Sam just chuckles at Ben and Alec's banter, and turns back to Jondy letting the boys continue their back and forth.

"So, you liked it when the killer truck showed up?"

"I would say liked it…but it felt like an adrenaline rush when the truck showed up. An adrenaline rush is a good way of getting the blood flowing".

"That it is" Sam nods, "…so you believe fully now? In the supernatural".

"Considering that I have heighten hearing so there was no way that truck could have drove up to us without me hearing it, as well as everything else that happened in this town, and the fact that I trust Ben and Alec… Yeah, I believe. Fully" Jondy tilts her head.

Before Sam can say anything, he gets a snowball to the back off his head.

"Alec!" Sam turns to the boy wide eyed.

"What?" the boy asks, his face full of obvious fake innocence.

"You know wh-" before Sam can even finish he gets hit with another snowball…by Ben, "…Ben?"

"It's important to show Jondy the wonders of snow and how to play in it, just like normal children do so that she can assimilate and adapt" Ben attempts to hide his grin, but ends up giggling along with Alec.

"Right" Sam mockingly glares at the twins and he kneels next to Jondy, picking up some snow in his hand and mashing it into a ball shape, "this is a snowball and the objective is to throw it at one of those two giggling buffoons".

Jondy grins and takes the snowball Sam offered. The twins, seeing the almost evil glint in both Sam and Jondy's faces quickly run away to hide behind the tractor.

"You remember that I move just as fast as you right?" Jondy asks before chasing after them.

Sam stands up and grins as watches the three children blurring around the area…or he tries to keep up with their movements.

He watches as Alec get's a snowball to the gut and watches as the boy dramatically falls to the ground pretending as though he got shot with a bullet.

Alec coughs up some imaginary blood, "I…I think…I s...see the l-light", some more imaginary blood, "Ben…avenge m-me, br…brother".

"Alec" Ben smirks and rolls his eyes.

"The light…it's coming closer…" more imaginary blood, "I lo…love you".

Giggling, Ben kneels next to Alec and plays along, "I love you too little brother".

"Only by like ten minutes!" Alec's head shoots up as he glares at his twin, before he resumes his dying position, "goodbye...a-and avenge…".

With that Alec closes his eyes and falls still.

Sam smirks, "top notch acting there".

"Thank you" Alec says, keeping his eyes closed.

"So, you're dead then?" Ben clarifies.

"Well obviously" Alec mutters, "go and avenge me!"

"He can't avenge you if I get him" Jondy grins, another snowball at the ready.

"Not if I get you first" Ben blurs off, taking a handful of snow with him.

Jondy blurs off in the opposite direction, while Alec stayed laying on the ground.

"Are you not getting up?" Sam's mouth twitches in to a smile as he looks down at the boy.

"Can't I'm dead" the boy says simply.

"You're going to get wet".

"I'm dead. It doesn't matter".

"You'll catch a cold".

"Super healing…and no offence uncle Sam…but can you stop talking to me, I'm supposed to be dead".

Sam rolls his eyes before getting hit with another snowball, "really?"

"Yep, you're dead now too" Ben shouts before blurring off, just missing getting hit with a snowball that Jondy had thrown his way.

"I'm not laying on the ground. You may not get colds, but I can" Sam shakes his head.

Jondy blurs next to him and pouts, her grey eyes staring up at him like a hurt puppy, "but it's how the game is played isn't it? You got hit…so now you need to fake die like Alec".

"Yeah uncle Sam" Ben nods as throws another snowball at Jondy, who dodges it.

Sam groans, but knows that he's not going to get out of it, so sucks it up and sits down in the snow with a grimace, "if I get the flu. It's on you". Sighing he lays down and can already feel the cold on his back.

Ben and Jondy start zooming around the place throwing snowballs left and right. Eventually Ben hits Jondy's leg with a snowball which takes the girl to her knees. They all hear the sound of the Impala approaching but ignore it as the game isn't over yet.

"It's over Jondy…I'm sorry it had to end like this" Ben grins as he throws a final snowball to her chest.

Jondy fall over giggling, "it's o…okay Ben… I…I forgive…you".

The girl dies as Dean steps out of the Impala with a bemused expression written on his face. Looking around he takes in the sight of Alec, Sam and Jondy all lay in the snow and Ben standing victorious over them.

"What…what's going on here" though Dean has an educated guess.

Sam groans as he sits up, his back wet and cold, "I think I accidently started a war…we're all dead and Benny's the last man standing".

Dean snorts, "let me guess, you got taken out first?"

"Actually, I got Alec out first" Jondy beams, standing up and brushing off the snow.

"Okay, technically uncle Sam was out first cuz both me and Ben hit him with snowball, but the game didn't start until after that" Alec pouts, getting to his feet. His back is wet, but he doesn't care, "but technically, I should have been second out".

Dean casual scoops some snow up and rolls it into a ball, "who got taken out after Alec?"

"Me" Sam sighs, shaking his jacket in a hopeless attempt to get rid of any snow stuck to him, "their damn hurt-puppy eyes ganged up on me, so I had to die too".

Dean chuckles, "yeah, they are good at those".

"I got uncle Sam out, then Jondy" Ben grins, "I won. I'm the last man stan-", Ben gets a snowball to the face from Dean, "-ding. Dad!"

"I believe that I am now last man standing" Dean smirks as Alec howls in laughter. Dean turns to Jondy, "how was your first snowball fight sweetheart?"

"Awesome" Jondy looks up at him with bright eyes, "the hunt wasn't too bad either, especially when the killer truck showed up".

"I had a feeling you'd like the killer truck showing up" Dean mutters. He guessed it was something to do with being raised in Manticore, the adrenaline rush or something. Shaking his head Dean turns to Ben, "thanks Benny, for helping Sam figure out how to get rid of the truck".

Ben shrugs, "It was mostly uncle Sam".

"Yeah…" Dean says slowly looking over at Sam, "by the way. I'm gonna kill you".

"Why?" Sam's eyebrows cross in confusion.

"Why? I'll tell you why,  _'well it honestly didn't occur to me'_. Are you serious" Dean glares at his little brother.

"Well it didn't" Sam says walking over to the Impala, "but you're still alive and the trucks gone. It worked", Sam clambers inside the impala and shuts the door, happy to be in the warmth.

"I'm gonna kill him" Dean mumbles and the twins laugh.

Jondy tilts her head in confusion and Ben see's this, "don't worry. Dad's not actually going to kill him".

"Right come on. Time to get you lot back to the motel, so you can have warm showers and food before you catch a cold" Dean herds the children towards the Impala.

"Super healing dad. Super healing" Alec groans.

* * *

 

The Impala is parked with four passengers inside. Sam in the driver's seat and the three transgenics playing in the back, with the twins keeping their hearing trained on Dean who was walking towards them with Cassie.

"My mother says to tell you thanks again" Cassie says, as they come to a stop beside the Impala, "this is a better goodbye than last time".

"Yeah well maybe this time it will be a little less permanent" Dean suggests and Ben frowns.

"You know what? I'm a realist. I don't see much hope for us Dean" Cassie relies sadly, and Ben sighs in relief.

"Well I've seen stranger things happen. A hell of a lot stranger".

"Good bye Dean".

"I'll see ya Cassie…I will" Dean leans forward and kisses Cassie.

"Oh, that's just gross" Alec moans looking at the pair, "it should be illegal".

Sam sniggers at the boy as Dean returns to the Impala. Sharing a wave with Cassie, Sam starts the engine and drives off.

"So, what are we doing next?" Alec asks.

Sam and Dean share a look with each other, before Dean reluctantly sighs. He knew that their plan of leaving Jondy with Bobby wouldn't go over well at first. To them, Bobby was a stranger and Jondy was their sister.

"Okay, hear us out first" Dean starts, and he knows that he's got the children's attention, "the Impala is only so big…when we find anymore of you brothers and sisters there isn't going to be room…we need a more…long term solution".

"And?" Ben asks suspiciously.

"And the long term's solutions name is Bobby".

* * *

 

It took the group just over twelve hours to get from Missouri to South Dakota. They drove mostly throughout the day, with a couple of stops for food breaks, toilet breaks and leg stretching breaks. Considering the trip should have taken them just under eleven hours to get to Bobby's, he figured that just over twelve with three kids was damn good.

During the drive they talked and argued about going to Bobby's, but eventually Ben and Alec understood that this was kinda the only option. Sadly, the Impala couldn't hold all the transgenics, nor would the motels. Plus, it would be rather hard for dad and uncle Sam to look after thirteen super solders while on the more for hunts.

They also understood eventually that Bobby had to be told about Manticore and transgenics, not that they were happy about that either.

The fact that dad and uncle Sam had said they would all be staying with Bobby until Jondy felt settled in, had put their minds at ease a bit more and help Jondy relax somewhat.

Dad and uncle Sam had told them how this Bobby person had helped look after them when they were kids and that he was the best person to ask for information on the supernatural.

Their dad and uncle Sam trust Bobby…but that didn't mean that they had to just yet.

"I still think we should have called ahead" Sam says as they park in font of Bobby's house.

"Nah, it'll be fine" Dean says, though not completely sure himself.

"Dad…even I think you shoulda called ahead" Alec says as he, Ben and Jondy observe the house.

It looks old and run down, as well as being in the middle of nowhere with heaps of car parts stacked up everywhere. Alec bit his tongue to avoid mentioning any horror movie references. Jondy tightens her hold on her bear as she looks at the house with worry.

"Don't worry princess. I promise Bobby may sound like a grumpy old man but… Okay, well he is a grumpy old man, but he's a great guy" Dean reassures the girl, "anyway, me, Sam and the boys will be sticking around for a while".

Jondy hums to let Dean know that she heard him.

Dean pause before reaching over and nudging the girls leg, "hey, you got a name for him yet?" he points to the bear in her lap.

"Yep" Jondy nods, "he's called Deanie".

Sam snorts out a chuckle and Dean glares at him. Ben and Alec giggle to themselves.

"Deanie?" Dean frowns.

"You said that your name was an awesome name to call a bear. So, this is Deanie" Jondy shrugs squeezing Deanie harder.

"I believe I said, 'Dean the second' was an awesome name".

"Yeah…but I like Deanie better".

"I like Deanie better too" Sam smirks, "ow! Dean!" Sam glares at his brother, rubbing the back of his head from where his brother slapped it.

"Let's just go. Come on" Dean sighs climbing out of the Impala.

Sam gets out after him, but none of the children follow. Dean opens the door on his side and leans down.

"I promise Bobby isn't going to bite, and me and Sam are right here" Dean holds out a hand and slowly Ben accepts it.

Sam opens the other door and slowly Alec slides out with Jondy following Ben out. Alec latches on to Sam's hand and Jondy holds Dean's other hand.

"You sure we can't just pull a trailer on the back of the Impala for all the other X-5's?" Alec tries to joke but Dean can hear the nervousness in his voice.

"I'm sure Buddy" Dean smiles reassuringly at the child as Sam shuts the Impala's doors.

Sam and Dean gently pull the anxiety-filled children towards Bobby's house. They both know that Bobby had probably already seen them pull up and is waiting for them to make the first move.

Dean goes to knock on the door before realising that he has his hands full with Ben and Jondy. Sighing he looks at Sam, who steps up and knocks on the door. Then the group of five wait in silence, the x-5's picking up the sound of someone walking toward the door. Then the sound of the door being unlocked.

Ben, Alec and Jondy quickly shuffle behind Sam and Dean, hiding themselves, their nerves getting the best of all of them, as the door opens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangerrrrrrrr.
> 
> The episode is now over, and the group are now at Bobby's! Who we will obviously see next chapter.  
> Like I said, Jondy had a bigger part in this chapter than in the previous two, which I hope you enjoyed. Plus, her teddy now has a name.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please kudos, bookmark and review. The more reviews, the more I want to write for you guys. Let me know if you're still liking the story or if you have constructive criticism that will help me make the story more enjoyable for you.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	28. Off To Bobby's House We Go (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! Time for the boys to meet Bobby, and for Bobby boy to meet the boys. Yay!
> 
> This is a bit of a longer chapter, not that you guys will mind, I'm sure.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 28.  
Off To Bobby's House We Go.

Alec, being the only child hiding behind the giant that is Sam, is pretty well hidden as the door is opened. Ben and Jondy on the other hand have their elbows peeking out from behind Dean.

"Hey Bobby…long time no see" Dean says, plastering his face with a grin.

"I was wonderin' when you boys was gonna get out yer car and come in" a gruff older voice drawls out, "took yer long enough".

"Yeah sorry, I think we had a few anxiety issues" Dean nervously chuckles. Now he's wishing he'd listened to Sam and called ahead of time.

Bobby raises a confused eyebrow, "huh?"

Dean attempts to pull Ben and Jondy out from behind him, but they don't move. However, the attempt had made Bobby lower his line of sight to Dean's waist where he noticed two child sized limbs.

Taking a deep breath Ben closes his eyes and counts to five. It was fine, he can do this. His dad is here and so is uncle Sam. He can do this. It is fine.

Ben slowly peeks around Dean's side and looks up at Bobby.

The man definitely looked grumpy, though admittedly not quite as much as John…Grandpa? ...John? …Ben wasn't really sure what to call the man. Technically since Dean is now their dad, it makes John their grandpa…but John may not want to be called that.

That doesn't matter right now, he'll cross that bridge when they find John.

Anyway, this Bobby looked like a grumpy old man. He has a scruffy grey beard to match his hair…or the hair that wasn't covered by the battered and worn cap on his head. The man was just a bit shorter in height then his dad but was a bit…larger in size. He also seems to be a fan of lumberjack shirts… Must be a hunter thing.

Ben's eyes meet Bobby's, and the boy fights the impulse to hide behind his dad again.

"What did ya do boy" Bobby stares, almost wide eyed, at the small boy at Dean's legs. The small boy that looks exactly like Dean did at that age. Bobby would know, he looked after him and Sam enough times as children…he'd know that freckled little face anywhere.

"Don't you mean who-" Dean starts before Sam cuts him off.

"Dean, don't. It wasn't funny the first time" Sam rolls his eyes at his brother. Now was not the time. Sighing Sam looks at Bobby, "it's kind of a long story".

Bobby slowly crouches, mostly because of his old age, and holds out a hand to Ben, "I'm Bobby, it's nice to meet ya".

Ben shuffles out from behind Dean a little more and shakes Bobby's hand, "I'm Ben. It's nice to meet you too Sir".

"Just Bobby will do".

"And err… It's not just Ben" Dean says, and Bobby raises another eyebrow, "there's another one behind me, and one behind Sam".

"Oi, leave me out of it" a little voice peeps up from behind Sam.

Bobby rises to his feet, "you idjit. Didn't yer daddy ever teach you to put a damn sock on it".

Sam looks to the ground and starts sniggering, his shoulders shaking with laughter while he attempts to keep quiet. The twins and Jondy didn't understand that reference at all. Dean on the other hand, goes a bright shade of red.

"No, it's…it's not what you think…it's uh..." Dean's words barely stumble out of his mouth, "it's like Sam said…long story".

"Well I better be gettin' the full explanation".

"You will" Dean nods, his face still hot and flushed.

"Am I gunna get to meet these other two kids of yours?"

"Yeah, Al…come on buddy" Dean tries to encourage the boy to move from behind Sam, but all the boy does is bury his head into Sam's back, "sorry, Alec's being a little bit shy-".

"I ain't shy or scared" Alec's provoked voice calls, "I'm just observing".

"There ain't much you can observe from behind Sam" Bobby says, a smile almost,  _almost_ , wanting to grace his face.

"Can too".

Ben wants to roll his eyes at his brothers childish antics, but doesn't because he understands that Alec is actually a little scared. It was time for Ben to be the big brother again. Letting go of Dean's hand Ben walks over to Alec.

"Come on" Ben whispers so low that only Alec can hear and holds out his hand for Alec to take, "he doesn't seem that bad, and looks less grumpy then John".

Alec nibbles at his lip while looking at Ben's hand. He was trained to be a damn soldier! This shouldn't freak him out. He's just got to suck it up.

Taking Ben's hand, he let his twin pull him out from his hiding spot and into view for this 'Bobby' guy.

He didn't really know what he expected Bobby to look like, yet at the same time Alec didn't expect him to look like what he did. Though looking at the man now…the gruff voice definitely matches him, yet also looking not quite as…scary as Alec, for some reason, though he would.

Bobby thought for just a second that he had gotten hit on the head because he was seeing double, before he quickly realised they were twins.

"Ben's in the blue shirt and Alec's in red" Dean grins, "thought we'd make it easy for you to know which one is which".

"Please tell me the other one hiding behind you don't look like them too" he was getting to old for this.

"No, don't worry. Jondy's…well I guess she was temporally mine, but she's not mine like Ben and Alec are" Dean struggles to explain.

"Like we said. Long story" Sam butts in.

Dean gently tugs on Jondy's hand, encouraging the girl to step out from behind him, and carefully like a frighten deer she does.

"Hello Sir" Jondy softly says, looking up at Bobby with big eyes.

"Like I said early sweetie, just Bobby will be fine" Bobby smiles as gently as he can. That was one adorable little girl.

Alec snorts, "okay, just Bobby".

"And Alec's back" Dean rolls his eyes at the boy.

"Alec don't be a smart ass" Sam sighs.

"He can't help it remember. That's why Max named him Alec, cuz he's a smart-alec" Ben shakes his head.

"Right, you said this was a long story, so you'd best get yer ass's inside and explain why you've got three kids" Bobby walks back inside his house followed by Sam, Dean and the x-5's.

The twins and Jondy follow Sam and Dean into the living room and look around with curiosity. The place definitely could do with a clean. There was dust in places that clearly hadn't been used for a while, books pilled high everywhere, some open on tables of chairs and some stacked to one side even though there was room to put them on the bookshelves.

The place was clutter somewhat…yet it felt oddly…safe? …comfortable? …familiar?

Sam and Dean sit down on the couch and the three transgenics quickly scramble and squish themselves onto the couch as well. Bobby walks into the room with a couple of flasks on hands the one over to Dean.

"Holy water?" Dean asks, unscrewing the cap and taking a sniff.

"That one is" Bobby nods and sits down in his chair, "this one is whiskey".

Dean nods, "yeah…you're probably going to need that", then he takes a sip before passing the flask down the line. To Alec, then Ben, then Jondy and lastly Sam.

Sam let's out a deep breath, trying to work out how best to approach this. Frankly, he didn't think there was one perfect way of doing this. Sighing again, Sam looks over at Bobby, "what do you know about cloning?"

"Or secret government facilities?" Dean adds.

* * *

 

An hour later and Bobby's whiskey flask is half empty. The twins and Jondy are no longer in the room. After the whole Manticore and clone explanation was finished Dean had told them to go and explore Bobby's yard. That only left the three adults.

Bobby reaches up and takes of his cap, putting it down to one side, and rubs his hair.

"Any idea where this Manticore place is?" Bobby asks.

Dean rubs his face, "Wyoming, but you know that most likely that's not the only facility. There's probably several facilities scattered over America".

"Right now, we are just focusing on the children that escaped with Ben and Alec, like Jondy, in-between hunts before we even think of going after a top secret government facility" Sam says.

"Makes sense. Do what ya can for those that yer able to do something for" Bobby nods.

Sam and Dean share a quick look before Dean gets up the courage, "exactly. We're going to find all of the children that escaped… However, there is a problem we've come across and that's why we're here".

"Go on" Bobby looks across at Dean with a hint of apprehension.

"As adorable as Jondy is, the Impala can't carry every x-5 child that we find" Dean starts, "motel rooms won't fit all the x-5's in either. Plus, as much as I love Ben and Alec, I can't handle looking after an additional eleven x-5's, on top of hunting".

"Jondy, and the other children as we find them, are going to need somewhere a little more permanent to stay" Sam looks at Bobby with his puppy-dog eyes.

"And yer think that somewhere permanent is here" Bobby finishes knowing what the plan was.

"Well if your offering" Dean give his shit eating grin.

Sam punches Dean's arm and turns to Bobby, "we know it's a lot to ask of you, especially after turning up out of the blue after not talking to you in years, but you're one of the few people we can trust with this".

"You helped look after us from time to time when we were kids-".

"That was years ago" Bobby interrupts.

"It might have been, but you were awesome Bobby" a little bit of flattering never hurts, "plus, you're one of the best sources for supernatural information that we know of. Who better to teach these kids then you".

Bobby sighs, why did he have to have a damn soft spot for the Winchesters.

…And this Manticore place and those innocent children inside it. No, he couldn't just do nothing about it. That's one of the reasons, other than revenge, that people become hunters. To save people. Innocent people. Especially children who have their whole lives ahead of themselves.

The boys were right. They couldn't just go after the place in Wyoming, they'd be killed before they could even get close to it and that wouldn't be helping the children. Plus, if by some miracle they took down that facility in the future, all the other Manticore bases would be quickly disposed of or moved… They'd have to find all bases before trying to take any down, which would take years and resources, plus an army  _to_  take them down.

Yeah, they had to focus on what they could do for now, which is find the other escapees and keep them safe…

They are innocent children.

He hunted to help keep children safe.

Looking after some kids should be easier then hunting…

Do what you could, for the ones that you can do something for.

Damn it.

"I'll look after the girl" Bobby exhales, "one of my rooms upstairs is just fulla junk. We'll clear it out and it can be her room".

"Thank you, Bobby" Dean grins in relief, "you really are awesome".

"We've already got her clothes and other bit's and bob's like hair brush and bathroom stuff. Plus, a teddy" Sam smirks, "she's called him Deanie".

"Shut up. You're just jealous that you don't have a bear named after you" Dean glares, before turning back to Bobby, "we'll sort out that room for her".

Bobby rolls his eyes, but ignores the pair, "Ben and Alec, they're staying with you two?"

"Yeah" Dean's answer is immediate, "Ben and Alec…they're mine. That's it. They've become my boys. Have been for a while… I think, really, they've been my kids for longer then I initially realised".

Bobby can see the happiness in Dean's eyes just from the mention of Ben and Alec. Personally…he always felt that Dean would make a good father, the boy had always looked after his brother more then his daddy did. Usually though, when you have a life as a hunter, you can't do the family thing. Having children as a hunter meant that they could get hurt, and it was no life for a child.

However, children made in a secret government facility with enhanced abilities that had been trained as soldiers…they'd easily fit into the life of a hunter more so then the life of normal children.

If Bobby believed in fate he would have said that fate gave Dean a chance at being a father by giving him Ben and Alec.

…and Ben and Alec a chance at a life by giving them Dean.

"Great, so there's more Winchesters now" Bobby sarcastically complains with an almost smile on his face to let Dean know that he understands.

He understands that Ben and Alec are his kids.

How could he not…at one point in time, Sam and Dean were his kids in a way.

And maybe he still slightly sees them in that way.

"Thanks Bobby" Dean says after a moment of quiet, "…you know, to tell you the truth, on the drive here, I did have a brief moment of wondering whether we should come here or not… Cuz, you know. The last time we're here, you threaten to shoot dad. Cocked the shotgun and everything".

"Well, what can I say? John just has that effect on people".

Sam snorts, "yeah, guess he does".

"I'm glad you boys came to me".

"Me too Bobby. Me too" Dean nods.

Before anymore can be said there are several yells and a growl that reach the men's ears, coming from the yard.

Dean's on his feet and out the back door before either Sam or Bobby even get to stand, and he races over to where he hears his kids…and the sight he sees…isn't what he expected.

When he heard the yells of his kids, he thought that something had happened. That maybe they were hurt, or a monster had found it's way here or worse, Manticore.

What he didn't expect was to find was Ben, Alec and Jondy sat up a tree hissing down at Bobby's dog, Rumsfeld, who was barking up at them.

Right, cats and dogs…

"Rumsfeld! Leave" Bobby barks and the dog slowly backs away and stands next to Bobby.

"Come on down. He's not gonna bite you" Dean says.

"No" Alec glares at the dog, "not till that things been put on a leash".

Dean rolls his eyes, "Alec, it's fine. That's just Rumsfeld. He's just wary of you, that's why he was barking. Let him get a sniff of you and I promise it'll be fine".

Alec crosses his arms and sticks his chin up showing he was going to move.

"Come on. He's harmless" Sam says, stepping up to the tree ready to help them down even though he knows that they can easily jump down.

Surprisingly Jondy was the first one to come down from the tree. Moving down the tree, she shuffles into Sam's arms and he lifts her down to the ground.

She looks at the dog cautiously but doesn't move towards the beast.

"I promise he won't hurt ya" Bobby encourages the girl.

Apprehensively Jondy approaches the dog, watching for any sudden movements it might make. She carefully holds out a hand towards Rumsfeld to let him sniff her.

Rumsfeld inspects Jondy, sniffing all around her until he's satisfied. He then nuzzles against Jondy's leg and sits at her feet.

Looking up at Bobby in confusion she asks, "what is he doing?"

"He want's yer to pet him".

Jondy tilts her head at Rumsfeld before carefully lowering her hand on his head.

"Don't Jondy! It's a trap" Alec shakes his head from his position in the tree.

"It's not a trap. Rumsfeld is a good dog" Dean rolls his eyes at Alec.

A smile creeps on Jondy's face as she starts scratching Rumsfeld's ear. The beast wasn't as scary when he wasn't barking or chasing them up a tree. He was rather cute actually.

"See, nothin to worry about" Dean looks up at the twins, "he hasn't bitten her hand off yet, it's fine".

Ben bite's his lip as he grabs on to Sam's arms, so the man could help him down. Alec glares at his brother for leaving him alone in the tree.

…wait…he's the last one in the tree…that makes him look like he's scared, and he's not.

Nope.

Totally not scared of that wild beast who's looking at him like he's food.

Okay, so he might be a little…wary, but he's not scared.

Mentally groaning to himself, Alec jumps out of the tree and lands next to Ben.

"Alec!" Dean really needs to think of some middle names for the boys so that he can yell them when they are in trouble. When you've done something, you shouldn't have, and you get caught and middle-named, you  _know_  you're in trouble. More than just your normal everyday trouble too.

Yeah, when that middle name gets brought into the telling off, you know you've lost and are in for a lot of revoked privileges.

The boy's need middle names.

…particularly Alec.

"What?"

"You don't jump out of a tree" Dean glares, "it's dangerous. Sam was right there to help you out of it, by jumping instead you could have hurt yourself".

Alec rolls his eyes. He's not even going to bother going over the whole super soldier with super healing thing again…for the…he's lost track of how many times he's had to repeat that.

Plus, he's pretty sure that the tone that his dad just used was the one that will give him a one-way ticket to the loss of his telly privileges.

Time to be cute and sorry.

Even though his dad is fretting over nothing because he is a super solider with super healing.

"I'm sorry dad" he pouts, looking up at Dean.

Let the cuteness win.

Please.

Dean sighs, "don't do it again".

Alec nods his head obediently, keeping his victorious smile to himself.

Ben rolls his eyes, seeing straight through his brother.

Meanwhile, Jondy is sat on her knees fussing Rumsfeld with both her arms. A big grin on her face, her eyes bright with happiness.

Looking over her shoulder, she grins at the twins, "he's actually quite nice. Soft too".

Alec scoffs, "I bet his teeth aren't soft".

"Neither are my boots up your ass" Dean says, "even if you don't like him, you've got to get along with him, cuz you can't hide up a tree every time you see him".

Ben walks over to Jondy and slowly lowers himself next to her. Alec frowns, but cautiously shuffles over to them and crouches down. He flinches slightly when Rumsfeld moves closer to them to get a sniff, but soon he flops down on to his back for a belly rub. Jondy giggles and rubs the dogs belly.

Gently treading his fingers through the dog's coat, Ben is surprised that the fur is rather soft. Not the softest thing he's felt, but certainly softer then what he expected.

Alec moves towards the beast's bottom so that he's further away from it's mouth. He strokes a bit of the dog's fur but keeps an eye out for any sudden movements from the beast, so that he can get back up the tree before he get's eaten.

"Maybe cats and dogs can be friends after all" Dean smirks, while Sam rolls his eyes and Bobby mutters something about him being an 'idjit'.

* * *

 

Once everything had been settled down and the group returned inside, Alec still a little wary of the dog. They talked to Bobby, in a bit more detail as they had glazed over it in their earlier explanation to fit everything in, about what enhancements the children had.

As well as informing the man about their shakes and the trick off drinking milk to try and keep them at bay. Yeah, Dean figured it was best to tell Bobby instead of having the man find out on his own like he and his dad had to.

Then they had some homemade stew for dinner, which quickly became one of all three of the kitten's top five favourite meal. It was warm and filling and tasted so good. Bobby then witnessed first hand just how much their little stomachs could eat.

Dinner was finished off with glasses of milk and a pout from Alec when Dean told them to get ready for bed.

The sleeping arrangements were a little tricky. Sam and Dean's old beds were still in their old room, but they were only singles so there wasn't much room for two grownups and three kids.

Tomorrow they'd have to sort out some beds, or at least something temporary like a couple of mattress, and help clear out the room for Jondy.

For now, though they'd have to make do with what was available. The twins and Jondy are sleeping downstairs on the couches. Jondy on the smaller one, with Ben and Alec top and tailing the other slightly larger one. Dean wasn't to keen on the idea of letting the kids sleep alone downstairs, but Bobby had left Rumsfeld with them. So, between three hunters and Rumsfeld, if anything tried to get in, which Dean knew was unlikely anyway, the kids would be pretty safe because hunters tend to react quickly. Especially when they get the heads up from Rumsfeld first. The dog had pretty good senses when it come to the supernatural.

So, while the kids were tucked in downstairs, Sam and Dean bunked in their old room.

Dean had to admit, it was very strange sleeping by himself…and kind of chilly…and lonely. Sure, Sam was in the room, but he didn't have his two little kittens sleeping next to him.

Sighing, Dean closes his eyes and lets the darkness wash over him

* * *

 

A few days later and everyone was a little more relaxed and settled.

Jondy now had her own room set up. The small room had been cleared out by Bobby, Alec and Ben, until only a chest of draws was left in there. While Sam and Dean had gone out and got a single bed and mattress for the room…and a few other little bits like covers for the bed and a rug for the floor. Not much and nothing special, it wasn't like they had the money to go nice and expensive, but it was a start for the girl and her room. Plus, over time, when money could be spared, she could paint her room and add to it. This was only the starting point.

While at the shop Sam and Dean also got a couple of air beds for the twins so the didn't have to share the couch, and Dean felt happier to have the boys in the bedroom instead of downstairs.

Jondy was warming up to Bobby, and Bobby couldn't resist Jondy's own puppy-eyes and pout. Alec and Ben, mostly Alec, had attempted their puppy-eyes on the old man but he had learnt to grow resistant to theirs from back when Dean was a child.

Everything was going pretty well.

Until four days later when very early one morning Sam woke up from a nightmare with a start.

Catching his breath for a second, Sam looks over at Dean who is sleeping peacefully in the bed next to him and the twins are passed out on the air beds on the floor in between him and Dean.

Sam quickly but quietly climbs out of bed, even though he knows there's probably no point in being quiet as the twins will hear him regardless. Stepping over the twins, he reaches Dean and flips on the bed side table lamp.

"Dean, Dean" Sam shakes his brother, hissing in his ear.

Dean grumbles and stirs while Sam starts gathering his stuff in his duffle. Ben scrunches up his face as sleep leaves him and consciousness started calling him. Alec grumbles and rolls over, burying his face into his pillow.

"What are you doing man, it's the middle of the night" Dean rubs his eyes, lifting himself on to his elbows.

"We have to go" Sam says.

Dean now sitting up and alert, "what's happening?"

"Why? Ben frowns, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"We have to go. Right now" is all Sam says as he grabs his bag and walks out of the room.

"That didn't explain anything" Alec glares at Sam's retreating form, still laying belly down on the air bed.

Dean throws his bed covers off and walks off after Sam with Ben hot on his heels. Alec groans but follows after them.

"Oi! If you want to take off in the middle of the night, you're gonna have to give me a reason Sam" Dean stops Sam at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll tell you in the car, we don't have time for this now".

"We're not going anywhere till you tell me what's got you freaked out and the longer you don't tell me, the longer we'll be here and not on the road" Dean crosses his arms across his chest.

Ben and Alec take a seat on the stair steps and wait for Sam's explanation.

"I had a dream. Some guy in Michigan is going to die".

"Who?"

"I don't know, but I saw his license plate. We got to go now Dean, I'll explain more in the car".

Dean hopes that this is just some nightmare and not the weird vision thing that Sam has going on. He sighs and looks over at the twins on the steps. Of course, they couldn't even get a week of peace.

The boys had been enjoying the down time and had been letting their pent-up energy out in Bobby's yard, he didn't really want to take them away from this just yet. Plus, Jondy was still a little nervous about being left alone at Bobby's. Having Ben and Alec around helped make her more comfortable in settling in.

Crap. He was going to have to leave them here for a couple of days.

He didn't really want to do this…but he also didn't want to drag the boys all the way to Michigan in the middle of the night for something that may or may not have happened.

"Right…" Dean turns back to Sam, "get in the Impala. I'll be out in five".

Sam nods and grabs the keys before walking out, and Dean heads back up the stairs and into the bedroom to change and pack.

"Wait. Just you and uncle Sam?" Ben frowns.

"What about us?" Alec pouts.

"You are gonna stay with Bobby" Dean mentally counts down the seconds till Alec starts arguing.

_Three… Two… One…_

"No, we're not!" Alec yells, "I'm coming with you. You can't just leave us behind!"

Ben's lips tremble slightly, "do you not want us with you anymore?"

"No, no. That is absolutely not it Squirt. I'll always want you" Dean sits down on the edge of the bed and pull Ben into a side hug as Alec glares at him from across the room, "look, we don't even know if Sam's nightmare is even real. There's a chance that this is nothing and I don't want to drag you on a fifteen-hour car ride for nothing. Plus, I need you boys to stay here and look after Jondy. She needs you to help her get comfortable here".

Alec glares a defeated glare at the ground. He supposed his dad was right.

"Hopefully me and Sam will only be gone a couple of days, but you've got both our numbers and we have Bobby's, so I'll call if anything changes and you call me if you need me. Okay?"

Ben nods, "okay".

"I guess so" Alec mumbles and he shuffles over to Dean's side to accept the side hug offered.

Dean looks over at the doorway to the bedroom and isn't surprised to see Bobby standing there and Jondy peeking behind.

"You hear that?" Dean asks.

"Hard to miss when someone starts yellin" Bobby looks at Alec.

"Oops" Alec says, his voice sounding not really apologetic.

"So, you're leavin?" Bobby returns to Dean.

"Should only be a couple of days, possible hunt. Sam's probably just paranoid" Dean shrugs.

"Pay's to be a little paranoid in this business".

"True" Dean stands and grabs his duffle, "it is alright if Ben and Alec stay here, right?"

"Idjit. Course they can stay".

"You really are the best Bobby" Dean grins before turning back to the boys, "you boys had best behave for Bobby, do you hear me? You do what he tells you and you don't muck him about. Trust me, if I hear you've misbehaved for him you won't see another telly till you're thirty".

"Yes dad" Ben and Alec reply in unison.

Dean hesitates in leaving.

Damn Sam and his stupid nightmares. He didn't want to leave his boys.

Sighing Dean quickly bends down to give the boys a tight hug, "love you", he whispers quietly to them before standing up, "be good".

"We will" Ben nods.

"I'll try" Alec shrugs.

Dean praises himself in not laughing and instead managing to keep a straight face, "you'll do more then try", leaving the room and heading down the stairs, he calls over his shoulder, "I'll call you boys later, when it's an actual decent time in the morning to be up".

"Okay" Ben says as he, Alec, Jondy and Bobby follow behind Dean.

Dean opens the front door but turns to face Bobby and the children, "you make sure you keep them in line, okay Princess?"

Jondy giggles and nods her head, "don't worry. I will".

Dean turns to Bobby, "any problems call me. I-".

"I've taken care of you before, I think I've got this. Go. The quicker yer get the hunt done, the quicker yer can get back here" Bobby huffs, "the boy's will be fine. I promise. Now get".

Dean sighs and reluctantly exists the house with one last glance at his boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that I've stuck to character and that you guy have enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be the boys at Bobby's while Sam and Dean are away.
> 
> Please kudos, bookmark and review because you know I love that.
> 
> Thanks for Reading :)


	29. Off To Bobby's House We Go (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my wonderful readers, I bring you the next chapter!
> 
> It took me a while to write this and be happy with it. It took a few re-writes before this chapter was done and now this is the longest chapter I've written so far!
> 
> Also, I'm sorry this chapter is up a few days later then normal, I've got a bit going on in my life at the moment and then before I knew it Monday had come and gone, and with it I forgot to post the chapter. But it is here now!
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 29.  
Off To Bobby's House We Go.

After Dean walks out of the house the only noise that could be heard was the rumble of the Impala as it started up and drove away.

Both twins look slightly unsettled and pouty as it started to sink in that their dad and uncle had gone. Ben's lip was even trembling slightly.

"Right, back ter bed" Bobby's gruff voice cuts the silence.

And the turns Alec's slight pout into a full-blown pout as he turns to frown at Bobby, "What? Why?"

"Cuz it's two in the mornin'. That's why".

"But we're awake now".

"And in about five, ten minutes you'll be asleep again".

"But dad said he would be calling in the morning. It's technically the morning now. I don't want to miss his call!"

"Dad said he's call when it was a  _decent time_  to be up in the morning" Ben rolls his eyes at his brother, "plus, dad and uncle Sam just left. Why would he call now?"

"I don't know" Alec mumbles.

"Yer not gunna miss the call cuz yer daddy will keep calling till you answer" Bobby interrupts, "now, it's two in the mornin' and we are all goin' back to bed to get some more sleep".

"But transgenics don't need as much sleep as normal people do" Alec tries again.

"Boy, you give me one more but and you'll be feelin' yours" Bobby sets Alec with a stare that screams don't-push-me. "And I'm pretty sure you promised yer daddy that you'd behave".

Alec sighs in defeat and mutters a quiet, "sorry", to Bobby as he starts walking up the stairs with Ben walking up behind him.

"Goodnight again Bobby" Jondy smiles sweetly at Bobby as she follows the twins upstairs.

Bobby runs a hand over his head and sighs. This could be a long few days, but he'll handle it. He had taken care of Dean before. He remembers what the freckled face boy had been like as a child, so he's somewhat prepared for Ben and Alec.

Sure, this time it's two Dean's plus another child…but he can do this.

* * *

 

Since Sam and Dean had gone, it meant that the twins could sleep in their beds instead of the air beds on the floor. Ben had quickly snuggled Dean's bed, leaving Alec to climb into Sam's.

Now, about six hours after Sam and Dean had left and the twins had been sent back to bed, Alec was lying on the bed letting out a board huff of air every few minutes as he listened to the seconds tick by on the clock.

Once they had gone back to bed, Bobby had stop by their room before heading back to his to tell them that they had to stay in bed until he got up. Which of course got a groan from Alec and a "yes Bobby" from Ben.

Alec had been awake for around an hour now and was board out of his mind. Their lego had be left downstairs from the day before from when they had been playing with Jondy, and there was only so long he could play with his army men with before they became boring. Which meant he had a lot of time to let his mind wonder over the fact that his dad and uncle were going on a hunt without him and Ben.

Ben was awake too but stayed curled up in Dean's bed, letting the scent of his father hug him. It made it feel like Dean was still there, so he ignored his brother huffing in the bed next to him and just burrowed deeper into the bed.

"Do you really think dad and uncle Sam will be gone only a couple of days?" Alec tilts his head in his brothers direction, "because with the luck us Winchesters have, chances are it's not gonna be a simple as dad said it would be. Something will happen and shit will hit the fan".

"Yep" Ben mumbles from under the duvet.

"And we should be there to help when shit hits the fan! We're not just kids, we are enhanced soldiers who kick ass" Alec continues to ramble, "dad and uncle Sam need us!"

Ben knew the signs of when his twin was getting panicky. It wasn't like Ben could blame Alec for feeling unsure and worried about being away from Sam and Dean for the first time because he was slightly panicking too. However, he is the older brother so he's going to keep Alec calm.

"Alec-" Ben tries as he reluctantly climbs out of his cocoon and heads over to Alec.

"We could totally hotwire a car and go after them! There are tones of car in Bobby's yard and we know that they are heading to Michigan, we can catch them u-".

"Alec" Ben squeezes on the bed next to his brother, who was frankly a bed hog, "dad and uncle Sam are going to be fine. They hunted long before we came into the picture, they know what they are doing. They'll have each other's backs and be back here before you know it".

"But-".

"Remember when dad got electrocuted?"

Alec glares at his brother, "liked I'd forget that! Why the hell would you bring that up? That just proves the point that they might not come bac-".

"Just before dad got electrocuted, we were waiting in the car and I was worrying about John. You told me to stop because I was causing myself to worry unnecessarily and that John is smart and is going to be fine. Well dad and uncle Sam are smart and they are going to be fine too".

Alec sighs and bites his lip, "I suppose you might be right".

"I'm always right".

"Are not".

"Anyway, I'm pretty sure dad and uncle Sam are to stubborn to die" Ben grins and Alec snorts a small chuckle.

The room falls into a brief silence before Alec whispers a quiet, "thanks" to Ben.

Ben just smiles and shrugs his shoulders, "what are brothers for".

Alec grins, then shoots up into a sitting position when he hears creaking floorboards coming from Bobby's room. Blurring over to the door, Alec opens it and peeks his head out slightly. About ten minutes later Bobby walks out of his room and Alec throws the door open fully.

"Please tell me you're up so we can get up now" Alec whines.

Bobby rolls his eyes at the boy but nods his head as he starts walking down the stairs, "get dress and then come down for breakfast".

Alec grins and races to get dressed, throwing on the first things he got his hands on.

"Odd socks" Ben looks over at Alec, as he calmly gets dressed.

"Huh?"

"You've got odd socks on" Ben states, pulling his Captain America shirt on.

Alec rolls his eyes, "What are you? The fashion cops? It doesn't really matter if my socks are odd".

"Who are the fashion cops?" Jondy asks, appearing in their bedroom doorway already dressed.

"They're cops who arrest people who dress badly".

"They are also not real" Ben adds, "It's just another one of those things that people say".

"Oh" Jondy nods.

Alec finishes putting his shoes on and stands with a grin, "I for one and hungry and can't wait for some food".

"Me too" Jondy beams as she follows the twin's downstairs into the kitchen.

"Do you need any help Bobby?" Ben asks as they enter the kitchen.

"It's alright, just grab some milk for yourselves, and set out some plates" Bobby says.

Ben grabs the glasses out of the cupboard while Jondy put the plates on the table and Alec gets the milk from the fridge. Putting the milk down next to Ben, Alec sits down at the table and Jondy grabs the cutlery and puts the on the table before sitting next to Alec. Ben pours three glasses of milk before putting the milk back and taking a seat himself.

A few minutes later Bobby is stacking the children's plates with bacon and scrambled eggs, making sure to put plenty of food on to fill up the hungry kittens.

The x-5's tuck into their breakfast, Ben and Jondy eating calmly and neatly…and Alec just shovelling his food in his mouth.

"Slow down and take a breath in between those mouthfuls" Bobby shakes his head, "I don't want yer to choke ter death before yer daddy gets back".

"Yeah, encase you hadn't notice, Alec  _really_  likes his food" Ben rolls his eyes at his brother.

"I'm hungry" Alec defends, stuffing his face once more.

"You're making me less hungry" Jondy wrinkles her nose, "close your mouth when you eat".

Alec swallows his mouthful and pokes his tongue out at Jondy, who shakes her head in disgust.

The rest of breakfast goes by in relative peace and the children help Bobby clean-up. Well, actually Bobby supervised the clean-up. Ben did the washing up, Alec did the drying with only a small amount of pouting and Jondy put the dry stuff away.

Soon after breakfast Bobby's phone rang and both twins looked at it wide-eyed with hope as Bobby answered it.

"Hey Dean" Bobby says into the phone and the boys are immediately at his side as Bobby rolls his eyes at what Dean had said, "of course they're fine, yer've only been gone a few hours…Here, talk to them yourself".

With that Bobby hands the phone down to the boys who hold it inbetween both their heads so that they can both hear and talk at the same time. Bobby nods his head at Jondy and they both leave the room to give the boys some privacy.

"Dad!" Ben grins.

"Hey Squirt" Dean's voice radiates relief and happiness.

"And me!" Alec pouts.

"Like anyone can forget you Buddy".

"We miss you already" Ben says.

Dean sighs, "I miss you both too".

"Where are you at the moment?"

"Fillin' up Baby and quickly grabbing some snacks for the road since Sam wants us to hall-ass down to Michigan".

"Did uncle Sam tell you more about his dream? Like who the dude that might die is?" Alec asks.

"Doesn't know who the guy is, but we got the owners name, some Jim Miller guy in Saginaw. Even with me driving as fast as I'm going, it's still going to be some hours before we get there so Sam called the cops to go to the dude's house".

"Right" Alec bites his lip.

"But like I said, this is probably nothin' and we'll be back at Bobby's in no time".

"Good" Ben smiles, though he's not so confident that it's as nothing as his dad says it is.

"You both better being good for Bobby" Dean voice turns slightly stern.

Alec rolls his eyes and huffs, "yes".

"Don't worry we are, even Alec's been good for Alec" Ben says, ignoring Alec's offended squeak.

"Good, it better stay that way because I was serious when I said you'd never see another telly again if you mess him about" they can hear Dean moving about over the phone and then Sam's voice yelling for Dean, "right…I gotta go".

Both boys deflate a little at that sentence, both letting out disappointed "oh's".

"Once we get to Michigan and figure what's going on with Miller I'll call you back okay?" Dean's voice also sounded put out.

"Okay" Ben nods.

"Guess so" Alec sulks.

"Right…good…okay… We'll talk later, bye boys. Be good".

"Bye" Ben and Alec mumble together before the phone call ends.

After a moment of silence pipes up, "I still say we should take a car and follow after them".

Ben rolls is eyes, "I doubt we'd get very far passed Bobby"

"I suppose".

"Dad and uncle Sam will be back soon, we just have to wait".

* * *

 

That first day that Sam and Dean were gone was mostly quiet. Neither boy, not even Alec, had felt like doing much or talking a lot. They just went about the day with permanent sad eyes on their faces. Alec spent the time half-heartedly building with the Lego or taking a small walk around the yard, while Ben was either reading some of Bobby's books or scribbling in his notebook.

Jondy tried to help the brothers by helping Alec build or sit next to Ben while he was reading, but whenever she tried to have a conversation she found that she was the main one talking. By the end of the day she decided to leave them and give them some space, so she spent the rest of the time colouring and then helping Bobby make supper.

Dean called again before supper, this time the phone call lasting longer. He explained that when they had arrived at Millers house the guy was dead, which means that Sam's dream really was a vision. It was suspected suicide but Sam was sure that it was something else because of what he saw in his vision, so they were going to call it a night and visit the family in the morning.

This of course meant that they'd be a bit longer then a of couple of days which neither of the twins or Dean was thrilled about.

Then the twins told Dean about their day, not that there was much to tell. Jondy even said a hello to Dean over the phone and he asked how her day was.

Sadly, the phone call had to end sometime, so with the promise of calling again in the morning, Dean reluctantly hung up.

After that supper was eaten, again mostly in a somber quiet. Leading Bobby to usher the children to bed after their warm glass of milk in the hopes that tomorrow the boys will be in a better mood. If they are still moping when they wake up, then Bobby will have to intervene and do something because they couldn't spend the entire time Sam and Dean are gone being miserable.

Unfortunately, there are going to be times that Ben and Alec are going to be left behind like they are now, so they have to learn to suck it up and get used to it. But Bobby did understand that the first time being left was obviously going to be hard on them, so he'd help them see that being left wasn't all that bad.

He had to because Bobby wasn't going to have them sulking the entire time they were with him.

* * *

 

Of course, the next day both boys still looked as though someone had kicked a puppy. So, after breakfast and Dean's phone call, Bobby searches through some of the old junk he still had from when Sam and Dean were children till he finds what he wants.

Pulling out the old baseball bat, ball and glove, Bobby gives them a quick lookover to make sure they still looked useable. If he was going to be housing more little soldiers he was going to have to think about getting some more games and sporting equipment to help keep them entertained.

Bobby finds the three children in the living room looking glum and for a brief second, wonders whether hitting them up side the head with the bat would knock them out of their little depressed party… Only a brief second.

"Right you lot, outside. Come on" Bobby huffs as he heads out the back.

"Why?" Alec asks as they follow Bobby to the yard.

"Cuz I'm done with yer sulking so we're going to play a bit of baseball".

Neither Ben, Alec or Jondy really knew much about baseball. They've maybe heard bits and pieces about it over the radio or telly or just from conversations as they've walked past people, but it wasn't something they actually knew. It was just a bit of something they once heard and then never thought about.

**(I'm not going to go into detail about baseball because we don't have baseball here in England so I don't know much about it, the closest thing we have to it is a game we call rounders).**

"Baseball?" Ben tilts his head in confusion, looking at the bat, ball and glove Bobby was carrying.

"Yeah, baseball is an old American sport" Bobby explains what baseball is and how it's played as he leads them towards a more open area of the yard, "of course we are having a proper baseball game with only four players but I figured we'd make do".

To Bobby's relief both Ben and Alec seemed to have brightened up at the thought of the game and seem eager to give it a go.

They are standing in an open bit of space with only a tree about twenty meters away from them.

"Okay, this is what we'll do. I'm gunna pitch and the three of you will take turns batting and fielding" Bobby says as the kittens nod their heads and give him their full attention, "one of you is gunna bat while the other two of you is gunna field, then switch. When you hit the ball, you got ter run to that tree and back to get a point".

"If we get to the tree and but then get out do we get half a point?" Jondy asks.

"Sure" Bobby agrees, "once you get out you swap and become a fielder".

"Can we use are powers?" Alec asks.

"Yes" Bobby knows there's a chance that this game could go on forever so he figures that if one of them gets to fifty points and still isn't out then he'd have them tone down their enhancements.

"Who's going to bat first?" Ben questions.

"Right well, ladies first" Bobby nods at Jondy, who beams as she gets give the bat, "as for who goes after Jondy, it'll be whoever gets her out then the other one of you will go after that. Sound fair?"

"Yep" Alec bounces on his toes barely able to keep his excitement down, "let's play!".

They played baseball for about four hours because anytime one of them won a round the other two demanded a rematch, and they were all clearly enjoying themselves and having fun.

They only stopped play because it was lunch time and the x-5's needed their bellies filling.

Bobby grinned to himself as the walked back to the house because all he could hear was their excited chatter about who won the most or who hit the ball the furthest or how amazing baseball is.

After lunch Bobby got on with his own work and let Ben, Alec and Jondy go back out and play more baseball only telling them to play nice and to come in when he tells them to or else they'll be trouble.

Dean called after supper this time and was a lot happier to hear the boys talk about their day with excitement rather than the sad voices they had the day before. Dean filled them in on what was happening with the hunt, Sam had another vision and now the brother to the already dead guy is now also dead.

Once they said their goodbyes Bobby had them take turns having a shower before they got ready for bed. They had their usual glass of warm milk before tucking themselves into bed feeling sedated and happy.

* * *

 

The next day the kittens were excited to play baseball again after Dean's phone call and breakfast, but Bobby decided to have them do a bit of learning for the morning. Alec had a horrified frown on his face and even Ben and Jondy were pouting slightly when Bobby handed them different books on the supernatural.

After lunch Bobby let them go back out to play baseball since they all, Alec included, got on with the research without much complaint. Again, they stay out playing baseball until Bobby calls them in for supper.

Dean calls a little before bed and the boys and Jondy tell him about their day. Then Dean tells them about the hunt and how the kid in the family, Max Miller, had psychic abilities like Sam and was the one killing his father and uncle and tried to kill his step-mum but they stopped him. He explained that they have to stay in town for another day because of the cops have questions but they'll be leaving tomorrow night. He also briefly mentioned to Bobby, after he sent the children to get ready for bed, that Max's mother had died the same way as Mary and that he was so relieved that Ben and Alec weren't on this hunt.

Soon after, everyone is curled up in their beds ready for tomorrow. The boys happy that it should be the last day with out their dad and uncle.

* * *

 

Because transgenics have big appetites and needed feeding quite a bit of food, Bobby found himself running low on food. He figured taking the children shopping might be a bad idea, but it would also get them out of the house, for something other than baseball.

So, after feeding the hungry children Bobby shuffles them into his truck and drives them into town. A few people stare at them in the supermarket, but Bobby expected that because they know him and know it's very strange that he would have a child with him, never mind three.

He makes sure Alec stays within grabbing distance because from what he's heard from Dean, Alec has sticky fingers. Especially for shiny objects. Several times Bobby had to remove items from the cart that Alec had tried sneaking in there.

Bobby made sure to grab a couple of boxes of Lucky Charms since the boys were Dean's clones, as well as grabbing a few cartons of milk.

Once the cart was full, paid for and loaded into the truck, the group of four drove back to the yard. Bobby was pretty pleased with how the trip went. Ben had stuck to his side and Jondy had wondered around slightly but never went more than a few meters away from him. Alec had tried sneaking off a few times, but Bobby was always quick to grab the child's shirt pulling him back and giving him a stern look, which stop the boy for about five minutes before he'd try again.

When they got back to the house they had lunch and then Bobby found out some more old games from Sam and Dean's childhood like Rock'em Sock'em, Mouse Trap, Barrel of Monkeys and a few other things. So, the afternoon was spent with Ben, Alec and Jondy playing with theses games and then when they got boring they made up their own games using the old games.

Dean called a little earlier then normal and again happily listens to the twins tell them about the games they played today. The mood goes down slightly when the twins hear Dean sigh however once they had finished talking.

"What is it dad?" Ben asks.

"You're not going to be home tomorrow are you" Alec doesn't ask because he already knows that's what his dad was about to say.

"We are heading back up to Bobby's. We're about to leave Michigan now" Dean starts before hesitating slightly, "we're just having a short stop along the way. Just to check out something that may or may not be a hunt, but it's on route to Bobby's so we're still coming back…It's just going to be a couple extra days. I swear I wasn't even looking for a hunt, Sam just accidently came across it, so we have to check it out".

"Right" Alec's voice is hard and clearly mad.

Ben just looks like someone told him that pancakes were being made illegal, "why might this be a possible hunt?"

"Some guy apparently got pulled under his car and has now vanished…and in dad's journal this county, where the guy is from, he's marked it as a possible hunting grounds of a phantom attacker. Looks like others have been grabbed and vanished. It's got more missing people then anywhere else in the state".

"I suppose that's pretty serious and unusual" Ben frowns.

"Me and your uncle are going to check this out as quick as we can and if it turns out to be something, we'll deal with it and then I'll be drive straight back to Bobby's okay" Dean says, "I won't even stop for food to get back to you boys. Okay?"

"Okay" Ben sighs knowing that there isn't anything he can do about it.

"Whatever" Alec mumbles.

"Hey" Dean says softly, "the 'whatever' phase isn't supposed to happen until you're a teenager".

"You said that you'd be a couple of days…now you're going to be gone a couple more".

"I know it sucks Al. Trust me, I hate this just as much as you do, but I promise once we deal with this missing persons thing I will be hauling-ass back to you kittens".

"Okay" Alec gives in.

"Right, I gotta go. The sooner we get there and solve this thing the sooner we'll be back… Bye boys".

"Bye dad" both boys mumble before the phone call ends.

Supper goes by quietly and not even Alec kicks up a fuss when Bobby tells them to go to bed earlier than normal.

* * *

 

During breakfast Dean calls and informs them that he and Sam would be talking to a witness and seeing what leads the local police have.

The twins were not quite as sulky as they were the first day that Sam and Dean had gone, but their mood had definitely gone down from how they were the past few days. There was no way in hell that Bobby was going to deal with mopey children again. So, the best course of action was to distract them.

For the rest of the day, with a break for lunch of course, Bobby showed them how to fix up a car. They all picked it up quite quickly, Bobby only had to show them something once and then they'd know it. That was probably thanks to the enhancements that Manticore gave them.

After supper Ben and Alec try not to sit and stare at Bobby's phone, but the longer it didn't ring the more anxious they became until Bobby had enough and rang Dean himself.

"Now's not a great time Bobby" Dean's strained voice came from the phone.

"Whys that? The boys have been watching my phone for the past hour waiting for you".

"Shit. Bobby I… I can't talk to them right now. If they hear me, they'll know somethings wrong and they'll start freaking out".

"Right" Bobby says carefully, he knows he has to talk and act carefully or else Ben and Alec will get suspicious, "you want to explain that a bit more".

"Whatever this thing is, it's taken Sam! I just… I gotta find him and I can't worry about the boys at the same time and-".

"Don't worry the boys are fine, I've got them. You just focus on the case, alright".

"Thanks Bobby. Bye".

Bobby hangs the phone up and mentally prepares himself for the onslaught of questions and hopes he can keep them from noticing somethings wrong.

Turning to face the boys he notices Jondy has joined them and looks just as worried and curious.

"Is dad okay?" Ben asks.

"Why didn't he call?" is from Alec.

"What about uncle Sam?"

"And why didn't he speak to us?"

"Are dad and uncle Sam okay?"

"Will he be calling in the morning to explain what's going on?"

"Has something happened on the hunt?" Jondy decides to join in.

Ben's eyes go wide with panic at Jondy's question, "did something happen?"

"Wha-" Alec begins before Bobby cuts him off.

"Look, both your dad and uncle Sam are fine, this hunt is just a little bigger than they expected, okay. Yer daddy couldn't call or talk right now because he's got a lead that he's checking out and can't be interrupted. I don't know if he'll be able to call in the morning, that depends on how the case is going".

"…But…they're both alive and un-hurt" Ben asks sceptically.

"Yes" he felt like shit lying to their little faces but knows that telling them right now will not do any good. He can tell by the looks on their faces that they aren't completely sure whether he's telling them the truth or not. Resisting the urge to rub his head Bobby opens the fridge, "right I believe it's bedtime for you lot so grab your last drink of milk and head off ter bed".

If God was really, he'd be praying to God that Dean finds Sam before breakfast tomorrow.

* * *

 

Breakfast goes by without a phone call from Dean and both boys are clearly getting worried and know that somethings up.

Hoping to get their minds off of Dean, Bobby decides to take the children into town for the morning, so they can play at the park. Plus, he has a few things he needs to pick up.

Bobby pulls up across the road from the park, "right, I'm trusting you lot to behave and stay here till I get back. I have a few errands to run, but I won't be long".

"We'll be fine Bobby" Ben says climbing out of the truck after Alec, "I promise we'll be right here and won't cause any trouble".

"I'll keep an eye on them" Jondy smiles at Bobby.

"I know you will" Bobby chuckles at the little girl, "okay, I'll be back soon. Have fun".

The x-5's wave as Bobby drives off and then walk over to the park. There are a few other children at the park, some younger with parents and a few older then them. Alec huffs as they get to the park and stops walking.

"Alec-" Ben starts.

"This is bullshit!" Alec growls, "you know that Bobby wasn't telling us something last night. Somethings happened with dad and uncle Sam".

"Al-".

"Something is wrong. I can feel it and I know you can too, you just don't want to. You're trying to pretend everything's fine, but you're scared".

"Shut up" Ben glares at his brother.

"I'm right and you know I'm right".

"No, you're not".

"Be-".

"Enough! Both off you knock it off!" Jondy shouts at the pair of them, "look, there is clearly something that we are not being told, but I'm guessing that if it was really bad, like either Sam or Dean was hurt, then Bobby would let us know. Besides, Sam and Dean have been hunting for years, they know what they are doing so they should be okay… For now, we are going to enjoy the park and wait for Dean's call tonight. If he doesn't call, then we can go back to worrying".

Ben and Alec pout at Jondy for telling them off but sigh and nod their heads in agreement. They'll give their dad till tonight before worrying.

About an hour and a half later Bobby arrives back at the park and is relieved to see all three children where he left them, and seemingly enjoying themselves. He lets them have another hour at the park before calling them over and taking them to a diner for lunch.

After lunch they go back to Bobby's house and the rest of the day passes quickly and quietly. Alec joins Bobby outside because he wants to help Bobby with the car he's working on as he quite enjoyed fixing the car yesterday. After a while Jondy joins them outside but doesn't help with the car. She sits on another car with the colouring pens and some paper and draws instead. Ben stays inside and writes to the Blue Lady some more, praying that she's keeping Dad and uncle Sam safe.

They had eaten and gone to bed without a call from Dean. That meant that Ben and Alec were on their way to a full-blown panic now knowing that something was definitely wrong. However, Ben wants to stay in denial, because his dad and uncle were fine. The Blue Lady will make sure of it.

They're in bed, but they are both to wired and anxious to even contemplate sleeping.

"I told you we should have taken a car and followed them" Alec mumbles, "because now we are stuck here with no idea what's happened to dad and uncle Sam".

"Enough about the stupid car Alec" Ben hisses, "dad and uncle Sam are fine…the Blue Lady is watching over them".

Alec rolls his eyes and scoffs, "you and your Blue Lady".

"Don't insult the Blue Lady. She got us out of Manticore and she's been keeping us safe".

"Sure, whatever".

"I mean it Alec! You leave the Blue Lady alone".

Alec rolls his eyes again. When was his brother going to get over his obsession with that Blue Lady. Usually he might continue to annoy and anger his brother…but he just didn't feel like it right now.

He just wants his dad back.

Sighing, Alec speaks with a softer voice, "I just want dad and uncle Sam to come home".

Ben's shoulder relaxes somewhat from their tenseness and he sighs as well, "me too Al".

Only a moment later does Bobby's phone start ringing, the sound echoing from the kitchen. Alec jumps off his bed, silently blurs to the bedroom door and opens it. Bobby's gruff "hello" meets the boy's ears as they notice Jondy open her door too. Seconds later Bobby's voice makes their hearts thump against their rib cage as the man says, "Dean you idjit! You couldn't have called a little sooner? I swear your boys are getting so anxious and worried that I reckon Alec was close to hotwiring a car and coming to find you. Have you got Sam, he with you? Are you both you idjits alright?".

Ben and Alec shoot down the stairs and into the kitchen in a flash. Bobby doesn't look surprised by their appearance in the slightest as he listens to Dean on the phone. He sees that both boys are practically bouncing on their toes, looking like they are moments away from grabbing the phone from him.

Jondy walks almost all the way down the stairs before stopping and sitting down on one of the steps. She wants to give Alec and Ben time to talk to their dad…but she also wants to know what's going on and id Sam and Dean are okay. She's grown fond of both men. They had taken her in, fed her and brought her clothes and Deanie. They brought her to Bobby's so that she will have a safe place to stay.

She has to know if they are okay.

"Dean" Bobby says to the phone, "You can finish explaining this to me later, right now I'm about to be jumped by some kids if I don't hand you over to them".

Bobby hands the phone to the boys who very rapidly and all in one long breath start shooting about hundred and one different questions and sentences off at Dean. It's almost two minutes later before Dean is able to interrupt the boys and get them to talk slower.

Of course, the main thing both boys want to know is if both Sam and Dean are okay, and what happened on the hunt.

When Dean tried to deny that anything happened, Alec very quickly told him to "cut the crap dad". Sighing, Dean knew he didn't have a choice because even though Ben and Alec had cat DNA, they had a tendency to be like dogs with a bone. Sam always got pleasure in telling him that they got their stubbornness from him.

It took a little while to explain what had happen, about Sam going missing and that it wasn't anything supernatural that was taking and killing people, it was just a family of crazy hillbillies. Plus, the twins interrupted a lot with their own questions and Alec repeatedly saying, "I told you there was something wrong".

Sam had taken off the phone off of Dean, after Dean had finished explaining to the boys and assuring them that both he and Sam are alright, to inform them that Dean was actually a little banged up because he got side-lined by a thirteen-year-old human girl.

That got a chuckle from the boys, which turned into a giggle when they could hear their dad in the distance groaning, "you're never going to let that go!"

After a bit more talking Dean told the boys it was way past their bedtime and that he and Sam would be back at Bobby's by tomorrow afternoon, maybe the evening at the latest. So, with mumbles of goodbye the boys hand Bobby the phone back and headed back upstairs with Jondy, telling her that both Sam and Dean are okay and coming back.

Climbing back into bed Ben and Alec find sleep comes a lot easier this time around.

* * *

 

The next day Ben and Alec feel like the hours have never ticked by slower then ever before. Bobby notices that they are all a little antsy, spending a lot of time looking out of the window, so he throws them outside with the baseball stuff and tells them to have fun and relax.

It's almost time for supper and Ben, Alec and Jondy are still playing baseball when the familiar sound of the Impala reaches their enhanced ears. Ben lets the ball fly past him as he drops the bat and runs with Alec and Jondy round to the front of Bobby's house.

A couple of minutes later the Impala comes into view and it only takes a minute longer for it to pull up in-front of the house.

Dean barely get's his door open and his feet on the ground before he gets shoved back on to the Impala seat by two little boys with very tight grips.

"I missed you so much dad!" Ben mumbles into his dad's jacket.

"I missed you too" Alec says, his grip threatening to tear the jacket.

Dean shifts slightly and brings his arms around to hug his boys back, "I missed you two munchkins too".

Sam had luckily gotten out of the Impala just in time to not get flattened by Dean and the twins. Grabbing his phone, he snaps a quick picture off the Dean pile-up. Pocketing his phone, he looks down when little arms wrap around his waist.

Jondy Looks up at him with big eyes and says, "I'm glad you're okay. I kinda missed you".

Sam's mouth twitches into a smile, "I kinda missed you too princess and I'm glad I'm okay too", he ruffles her hair.

"Uncle Sam!" Alec's head shoots up from Dean's chest as he realises Sam's there too.

Climbing off of Dean, both boy's launch themselves at Sam, who expecting this, was able to keep his balance and stay on his feet.

"I'm so happy you're okay uncle Sam" Ben wraps his arms around him.

"Who'd have thought that even though you and dad hunt monsters for a living, that plain old humans would give you guys trouble and were actually able to kidnap you" Alec says.

Sam looks at the boy with a raised eye-brow.

"…I mean, I'm glad you're okay and I missed you" Alec grins up at Sam, "I meant it uncle Sam. I really missed you and I'm happy you're okay".

Sam smiles fondly and ruffles the child's hair.

"Missed you and dad a lot" Ben nods in agreement.

"I missed you two a lot too" Sam hugs the boys before smirking, "anyway, I might have gotten kidnapped but at least I wasn't taken down by the thirteen-year-old".

"Shut your face" Dean glares as he gets out of the Impala and the twins start giggling.

Jondy makes her way over to Dean and hugs him too.

"Hey princess" Dean smiles at her. At least someone wasn't laughing at him!

"I kinda missed you" she grins at him.

"Yeah, I kinda missed you too sweetheart".

"Ya'll all done with yer little hug fest?" Bobby stands in the doorway, "food's gunna get cold".

"Food? You're the best Bobby" Dean grins as the transgenic race into the house to the kitchen.

Sam and Dean grab their duffels from the truck before heading inside. They'd already agreed that they'd stay a day or two before heading back out again, this time with the twins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys! That's all for Bobby and Jondy for a little while, but of course, this won't be the last of them. Next chapter will be for episode 16, Shadow, where John makes his little appearance.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it does go on quite a bit, but I hope you liked it. I also hope I kept to character enough.
> 
> As always please kudos, bookmark and review my story. I love those reviews!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	30. Episode 16, Shadow (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I just figured that I'd let you guys know a little about what’s been happening in my life and why I haven’t updated in a little while (I promise it’s not because I forgot this story):
> 
> On the 29th of August I got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I’m 21 years old and I have RA, which kind of sucks because it’s obviously something I’m now having to live with.
> 
> Luckily medication has improved over the years (thank God) and I have a medication, that I can not pronounce or say, that helps with the arthritis (the swelling and the pain and everything).
> 
> However, it’s a very strong drug and while I only have to take it once a week it leaves me sick and tired a lot. The sickness and tiredness has gotten better as my body’s gotten used to the medication, but it’s been a hard couple of months both physically and emotionally. 
> 
> Especially because I have to have my blood tested every two weeks and see my doctor to make sure I’m okay and the medications working. Plus, now I have to have the flu jab every year because the medication I take lowers my immune system (as that’s what the RA attacks) and I’m not a needle fan (then again, who is?).
> 
> I just wanted to let you guys know this, because I haven’t forgot this story I promise. I’ve just had to focus on my life that has gotten a bit hectic over these couple of months, but I hope to start getting things back on track.
> 
> Anyway, here's the next chapter for you lovely readers.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 30.  
Episode 16 (Shadow).

It was two days later when Sam found an article on a suspicious death of a women in Chicago, Illinois. That meant it was time to leave Bobby's and hit the road again for a while.

The twins were glad they weren't being left behind this time…however, they had grown quite attached to Bobby and were sad to leave. Plus, it felt like they had only just found Jondy and now they were leaving her too.

Once the Impala was packed it was time to say the goodbyes.

"I better hear from yer more often now" Bobby pinned Dean and Sam…but mostly Dean, with a look.

"Don't worry Bobby, we'll keep in touch" Dean says before grinning at Jondy, "we've got to make sure this one is helping you hold down the fort", Dean ruffles her hair.

"Dean!" Jondy pouts as she attempts to straighten out her hair.

"You better come and visit soon too" Bobby huffs and nods over to Ben and Alec, "the next time I see them, I want them to be roughly the size they are now. I don't want you disappearing for months before showing up and then them being a foot taller".

"I wish they'd stay roughly the size they are now forever" Dean squeezes Ben's shoulder, "I should start loading them up with caffeine to stunt their growth".

"What Dean mean is: of course, we'll visit soon Bobby" Sam rolls his eyes.

"Good" Bobby nods. Them freckled face little terrors really grow on you.

"Right, say good bye to Bobby boys" Dean says.

Ben frowns, his eyes filled with sadness as he looks up at Bobby before throwing his arms around the man's waist and hugging him, "I'm going to miss you Bobby!"

Bobby rubs the boys head, "I'm gunna miss you too".

Alec tries to act unaffected, but quickly joins his brother in hugging Bobby, "bye Bobby. You're awesome".

Bobby chuckles and ruffles the child's hair.

"Come here Princess" Dean kneels down and Jondy jumps into his arms, "you have all of mine and Sam's numbers okay, so if you need us, you call us. Got it".

"Got it" Jondy sniffles.

"We'll call every few days to check you're okay and you can talk to Ben and Alec, and like Sam said we'll be here again soon" Dean pulls the little girl away from him, "I know it's going to seem a little lonely at first, but as you know now Bobby doesn't bite and you've got Rumsfeld to help keep you company".

"But you'll definitely be back soon?"

"Promise" Dean gives Jondy one more quick hug before standing up.

"Like Dean said, call us whenever you want okay" Sam bends down to hug the girl.

"Okay" Jondy gives a small smile before turning to Ben and Alec, who have finally let go of Bobby.

There is a brief pause before the three x-5's are hugging each other tightly.

"I'll miss you both" Jondy mumbles into one of the boy's shirts.

"I'll kind of miss you too" Alec again tries being unaffected but Jondy just rolls her eyes and smiles at him.

"I will miss you too, but at least we found you and now live with Bobby" Ben thinks positively, "that means you're safe and we can still see each other again".

"Yeah" Jondy nods.

The children pull away from each other with their sad little faces that made Dean feel like he got punched in the gut.

"Right, we'll see you again soon, and we'll talk to you even sooner" Dean says to Bobby and Jondy, as he leads the boys to the Impala.

"You better" Bobby warns non-threateningly as the twin's clamber inside the Impala.

Dean goes to get in the Impala before stopping and looking over at Bobby, "thanks again, for taking in Jondy and looking after the boys, and just everything. You really are awesome Bobby".

"Yer don't need to thank me idjit" Bobby shakes his head, a small smile on his face, "it's just what you do for family".

Sam grins, "you're the best Bobby".

Sam and Dean climb into the Impala, and Dean starts up the engine. With one last look at Bobby and Jondy, Dean pulls away from Bobby's house and hits the road.

Alec hopes that this hunt ends up being a ghost, so he and Ben can help out because it feels like ages since they last hunted, even though it was only a couple of weeks ago.

Ben's mostly just glad that he's with his dad and uncle Sam, though being able to be involved in the hunt would help to distract him from missing Bobby and Jondy.

* * *

 

Once in Chicago, the twins spend the morning and afternoon in the motel room because they are a little young to try and dress up as employees from an alarm company, nor can they walk into a police station and start asking questions about murders.

It kinda sucks to be little sometimes.

Although, one perk of being stuck in the motel all day is that when it came to the evening, Ben and Alec were able to puppy-dog eye their dad into letting them come to the bar with him and uncle Sam.

So, their dad had reluctantly let them come to the bar, damn their little adorable faces, with uncle Sam bitch-facing the whole time about how they shouldn't be in the bar because they are children.

"It's not like it's the first time we've been in a bar uncle Sam" Alec says to try and get him to loosen up.

But of course, that just made Sam frown disapprovingly at Dean even more.

Personally, Alec had no idea what Sam's problem was. He loved bars. Driving up to them, they almost always had big bright lights, and who didn't love big bright lights? Sure, the inside was a little overwhelming to genetically enhanced children with their enhanced hearing and sense of smell, but Alec love how much there was to hear and smell. Some of the conversations he's overheard in bar have been better entertainment then T.V. sometimes. The smell in bars…okay, yeah. Alec could do without that. The constant smell of smoke and sweat and strong alcohol was a lot. Especially the sweat. That was gross. Eventually all the sound will give him a headache too, but Alec didn't care because he just loves bars.

Ben doesn't really have much of an opinion on bars, but he would prefer not being in one for long periods of time. Sure, when he first goes into one it's pretty cool and new and exciting because it's big and bright, but after a while he fells sick from smell of sweat that's engraved into his nostrils and his head hurts from all the loud noises. In small doses, bars are okay, but he'd rather be in the motel reading or drawing. However, his dad and uncle are here and he want's to be with them, so he'll but up with the smell and noise.

So now, while Dean is chatting to the bartender, Sam and the twins are sat in a corner trying to find out what the symbol in the dead women's, Meredith, apartment is.

Sam had been worried that having the twin's in the bar would draw attention to them, which considering they are on the run from a secret government facility with who knows what resources, is not a good thing. However, barely anyone has looked at them since they've come in.

It's like Ben and Alec just blended in.

But children in a bar shouldn't blend in…they can't, they're children.

When Sam had questioned this the kitten's explained that Manticore trained them to blend into their surroundings when needed, because they were being trained to be the perfect little soldiers.

Eventually Dean came back to the table, with a poorly hidden grin.

"I talked to the bartender" Dean says.

"You don't say" Alec scoffs, "you've been talking to her for the past twenty minutes".

"Did you find out anything?" Ben asks.

"Besides her number?" Sam doesn't even bother looking up at his brother, knowing him all to well.

"Dude, I'm a professional. I'm offended that you would think that" Dean begins before Sam gives him a raised eyebrow look, "all right, yeah", he chuckles and holds up a napkin with the bartender's phone number on it.

"You mind doin' a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?"

Alec frowns, "what other brain could dad be thinking with? We only have one and that's in our heads".

Dean chokes on his drink a little and glares at Sam.

"You're always the one saying, 'be careful of the little ears' and now look what you're saying".

Sam rolls his eyes, "that's nothing compared with things you've let slip in front of them".

"I'm still confused here" Alec sighs.

"It's nothing, you'll understand when you're older" Dean says before taking a swig of his drink and getting back to business, "back to Meredith. There's nothing to find out. I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables, everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died, so…what about that symbol, you find anything?"

"Nope, nothing. It wasn't in Dad's journal or in any of the usual books. I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess" Sam flicks throw the journal.

"Well, there was a first victim, right? Before Meredith?"

Ben nods, "Yeah" he pulls out a newspaper clipping, "his name was, uh…his name was Ben Swardstrom" Ben looks over the article quickly before handing it over to Dean, "last month he was found mutilated in his town house. The door was locked, the alarm was on. Just like with Meredith".

"Is there any connection between the two of them?" Dean asks.

Sam shakes his head, "not that we can tell…I mean, not yet, at least. Ben was a banker, Meredith was a waitress. They never met, never knew anyone in common. They were practically from different worlds".

"So, to recap, the only successful intel we've scored so far is the bartender's phone number" Dean smirks.

"I don't know how that's successful" Alec huffs.

"You will when you're older" Dean says, though he isn't sure he's looking forward to his little kittens getting older. Looking back to Sam, he notices his brother looking at something at the other side of the room, "what is it?" Sam gets up and starts walking away, "Sam?"

Ben's eyebrows scrunch up in confusion, "where's uncle Sam going?"

"I don't know" Dean mutters as he follows Sam with his eyes.

He sees Sam approach a woman with short blonde hair with her back to him. When she turns around, Dean has to give it to Sam, she is kinda hot.

"Who's she?" Alec tilts his head.

Dean watches as the woman hugs Sam, "no clue, but clearly Sam knows her".

Standing up, Dean motions for the boys to follow him. They get up and walk over to where Sam and the women are talking and as they get closer the twins can just about hear the tail end of the conversation over the music and talking from everyone else.

"-about you, Meg? I thought you were goin' to California" Sam says as they come up behind him.

Alec wrinkles his nose as a strange smell fills the air, and not a pleasant one. It's not a smell he's ever smelled before so he's not sure what it is. He can tell that Ben can smell it too because he see's his brother, from the corner of his eye, rubbing the sleeve of his jumper against his nose, trying to block it out. If this is some new perfume this lady, Meg, is trying out…she needs to get a refund because it's not a nice smell.

"Oh, I did. I came, I saw, I conquered. Oh, and I met what's-his-name, something Michael Murray at a bar" Meg smiles at Sam, completely blanking Dean and the twins.

"Who?" Sam frowns.

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the whole scene got old, so I'm living here for a while" Meg shrugs and Dean clears his throat in an attempt to get their attention.

He fails.

"You're from Chicago?" Sam asks.

"No, Massachusetts, Andover. Gosh, Sam, what are the odds we'd run into each other?"

"Yeah, I know, I thought I'd never see you again".

"Well, I'm glad you were wrong" Meg smiles, before glaring at Dean as he clears his throat again, "dude, cover your mouth".

"Yeah, um, I'm sorry, Meg. This is, uh…this is my brother, Dean. And uh, his kids, Ben and Alec".

"This is Dean?" Meg raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah".

Dean grins, "so, you've heard of me?

"Oh, yeah. I've heard of you. Nice, the way you treat your brother like luggage" Meg glares at Dean.

"Sorry?" Dean frowns.

Ben and Alec feel their hackles rise and fight the urge to start hissing at the woman.

"Why don't you let him do what he wants to do? Stop dragging him over God's green earth".

Oh yeah, this woman was about to get it. No one talks to their dad like that.

"Why don't you let him speak for himself? He's a grown up, he doesn't need some random lady who doesn't know what she's talking about or anything about our family, talk for him" Alec hiss and is about two seconds away from jumping on her and clawing her eyes out.

"Al" Dean warns him. He loves that his kids get protective like this, but now is definitely not the place. Plus, he's the parent, he protects and looks after them. It shouldn't have to be the other way around… But it does warm his heart.

"Excuse me" Meg looks at Alec like he's a stain on her favourite shirt.

"Unless you're deaf, you heard what my brother said" Ben crosses his arms across his chest and matches her stare, "unless you have the full story of what's going on, which you don't because you are just some stranger who doesn't know us, back off our dad!"

"Right" Dean quickly grabs the twin's hands, remembering the time they defended him to Layla's mother, and knows that he has to get them away from Meg before they cause a scene, "I'm gonna get a drink now" he gives Sam a puzzled look before walking away with the twins.

Ben and Alec want to stay and yell and Meg some more, but Dean continues to pull them away. Although, at least they were getting away from that stinky perfume.

"What was her problem?" Ben frowns as Dean nudges them back into their seats at their table.

"And what the hell is uncle Sam's problem?" Alec grumbles, "he's obviously talked to her about stuff or else she wouldn't have gone off on you like that dad. Why would he do that?"

"I don't know Buddy, but we'll talk about it when we get out of here" Dean looks back over to Sam and Meg.

* * *

 

A little while later Sam, Dean and the twins are walking back to the car and the atmosphere is very clearly tense. The twins a shuffling behind just slightly to let Dean take the lead and ask Sam just what the hell that was back at the bar.

"Who the hell was she?" Dean asks, his voice tight.

"I don't really know. I only met her once. Meeting up with her again? I don't know, man, it's weird" Sam shakes his head.

Alec bites his tongue, uncle Sam knew her enough to complain to her about dad.

"And what was she saying? I treat you like luggage? What, were you bitchin' about me to some chick?" he glares at his brother.

"Look, I'm sorry, Dean. It was when we had that huge fight when I was in that bus stop in Indiana. But that's not important, just listen-".

"Well, is there any truth to what she's saying? I mean, am I keeping you against your will, Sam?"

Sam sighs, "no, of course not. Now, would you listen?"

"What?"

"I think there's something strange going on here, Dean."

"Yeah, tell me about it. She wasn't even that into me".

Ben and Alec tilt their heads in confusion. What was their dad talking about?

"No, man, I mean like our kind of strange. Like, maybe even a lead".

"Why do you say that?" Ben asks.

"I met Meg weeks ago, literally on the side of the road. And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar? I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don't think that's a little weird?"

"I don't know, random coincidence. It happens" Dean shrugs.

"Not really, and certainly never to us" Alec points out, "we are not that lucky".

Sam nods, "look, I could be wrong, I'm just sayin' that there's something about this girl that I can't quite put my finger on".

Dean smirks, "well, I bet you'd like to. I mean, maybe she's not a suspect, maybe you've got a thing for her, huh?"

Sam rolls his eyes and laughs, "careful where you go with this Dean. Little ears".

Dean's eyes flick over to the twins who look adorably confused. He really does need to get better at thinking before he speaks.

Sam becomes serious again, "do me a favour. Check and see if there's really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts, and see if you can't dig anything up on that symbol on Meredith's floor".

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna watch Meg".

Dean snorts, "Yeah, you are".

"I just wanna see what's what. Better safe than sorry".

"All right, you little pervert".

"I don't understand how that makes uncle Sam a pervert" Ben says, "surveillance is important for investigations. If there is something going on with Meg, watching her is a good idea".

"Thank you, Benny" Sam smiles at the boy.

Dean rolls his eyes and throws the Impala keys to Sam, "come on boys, let's pick up some food and head back to the motel to do some  _real_  work" he gives Sam a smirk.

"Like Ben said, surveillance is important" Sam says as he slides into the Impala.

"Yeah, yeah" Dean shakes his head with an amused smile on his face as he and the twins walk away.

* * *

 

Ben sits on the Sam's bed reading through John's journal for about the third or fourth time that night trying to find anything helpful. Every now and then he takes a few fries and eats them, almost mechanically, as he focuses on the journal.

Alec sits at the table with the laptop researching Meg and the symbol, happily munching on his burger while Dean is sat on the other side of the table on the phone to one of their hunter friends Caleb.

Finishing of his burger, Alec wipes his mouth along his jumper sleeve and jumps when Dean kicks his leg from under the table.

Dean glares at Alec as he covers the phone, "how many times have I told you? Stop using your clean sleeve to wipe your dirty mouth. Use the damn napkins, that's why they're there".

Dean returns to his phone call while Alec pouts and grumbles as he grabs a napkin to wipes his hands and mouth.

Taking a sip of milk, Alec returns back to the laptop to keep digging for information on Meg. So far however, everything about Meg seems to be checking out.

"Thanks Caleb" Dean says before hanging up his phone.

"Did Caleb have any ideas as too what the symbols are?" Ben looks up from the journal, "because there is definitely nothing in here about it".

"Yeah, the symbol is Zoroastrian, and it's a sigil for a Daeva".

"Daeva?"

"Zoroastrian demons. From what Caleb said, they are basically like demonic pit balls. Nasty things" Dean briefly explains.

Alec pouts, "that mean's that you're not gonna let us go on this hunt, just cuz it's not a ghost".

"Yep" Dean pops the 'p'.

Even Ben deflates a little bit at that. He was looking forward to getting really stuck in with this hunt. Now both Ben and Alec are going to be stuck on research duty, not that there's much left to do now they know what's killing people other than find it, and they will be left in either the car or motel. Alec hopes it's the motel. At least there's telly here.

Dean turns to the sour looking Alec, "so, is Meg who she says she is?"

Alec nods, "yeah, I even found her high school photo to check it was the same Meg Masters in Massachusetts and I'd say that it's a match".

Alec turns the laptop around and shows Dean what he found on her.

Dean clicks through the information on the laptop before sighing and picking up his phone to call Sam to fill him in on what they've found out.

Ben climbs off the bed, as Dean waits for Sam to answer, and throws away the rubbish from their meal.

"Let me guess. You're lurkin' outside that poor girl's apartment, aren't you?" Dean smirks into the phone, "you've got a funny way of showin' your affection".

Neither twin bothers to try and listen in to Sam's end of the conversation because if anything important has happened, their dad will tell them.

"Sorry, man, she checks out. Alec found a Meg Masters in the Andover phonebook. He even pulled up her high school photo. Now, look, why don't you go knock on her door and, uh…" Dean pauses for a second and glances at the twins, " uh, invite her to a poetry reading, or whatever it is you do, huh?"

Poetry? Alec wrinkles his nose in disgust. It sounds like something girly Ben would do.

"Yeah, that I did have some luck with. It's, uh, turns out it's Zoroastrian. Very, very old school, like two thousand years before Christ. It's a sigil for a Daeva… It translates to "demon of darkness". Zoroastrian demons, and they're savage, animalistic, you know, nasty attitudes. Kind of like, uh, demonic pit bulls… Give me some credit, man. You don't have a corner on paper chasin' around here… No, I called Dad's friend, Caleb. He told me, all right?... Anyway, here's the thing, these Daevas, they have to be summoned, conjured".

The twins perk up at that bit of information. If the Daevas need be summoned, that means there's a second player.

Dean nods to whatever Sam just said, "yeah, that's what I'm sayin'. And, from what I gather, it's pretty risky business, too. These suckers tend to bite the hand that feeds them. And, uh, the arms, and torsos… Well, nobody knows, but nobody's seen 'em for a couple of millennia. I mean, summoning a demon that ancient? Someone really knows their stuff. I think we've got a major player in town" which was not what Dean needed near his boys.

Leaning back in his seat Dean quickly changes the subject, he does not want to think about his boys in or near danger, "now, why don't you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?... No, bite her. Don't leave teeth marks, though… Sam? Are you?..." Dean flips his phone closed in a huff, "he hung up on me".

Ben looks at Dean with a slight disturbed confusion, "why would uncle Sam bite that woman?"

"What's a strip-o-gram?" Alec asks.

Dean rubs a hand down his face, "I really have to learn to watch what I say" looking at the boys he sighs, "you'll find out when you're older".

"You always say that" Alec points out, "when is 'older'?"

"When you are thirty-five" Dean says because they are his little boys and he refuses to have them grow up to quickly.

He's not unrealistic, he knows that they will grow up and find out stuff, and of course do the deed and all the extras. However, that doesn't mean he can't try and keep it from happening for as long as possible because they are his babies.

So yeah, thirty-five is a good age.

"Thirty-five! That's like decades away!" Alec exclaims, "you're not even thirty-five yet, but you know everything you tell us we can't know till we're that age!".

"Alright, thirty. That's as low as I'm going" Dean shrugs.

"Again, you're not even thirty yet!"

"No, but I'm your father so I make the rules".

Alec shakes his head, "this is just not fair…I feel wronged by the justice system".

Dean rolls his eyes at the dramatics of his son. He has no idea where he inherited that from. Leaning back in the chair, he takes a sip of his beer while Alec pouts in the seat across from him.

A thought passes through Ben's mind and he frowns, "dad, are we sure that the two victims didn't have a connection?" Ben slides into a chair at the table, "Its just, if someone is summoning these Daevas and, like you said, it's a dangerous thing to summon them because they are so nasty…why would the person have the Daevas attack two random people with no connection to each other and risk having their arms chewed off".

"You have a good point" Dean puts down his beer and pulls the laptop closer, "we need to take another look at our victims".

"Maybe I should have a try at looking at our victims" Ben says.

Dean raises an eyebrow in question.

"I'm not saying you wouldn't be able to find anything, it's just…"

Alec butts in, "with the skills me and Ben learnt in Manticore and our high IQ's, if there's anything to find out, we'll find it quicker".

"No offence" Ben adds.

"None taken" Dean pushes the laptop over to Ben, "I don't mind not having to do research, I prefer not doing research".

About fifteen minutes later of searching… and maybe a little hacking into police files, undetected of course, and Ben's eyes widen when he finds the connection between the victims.

"Uhh dad…I got something" Ben looks up at Dean with his wide eyes, which makes Dean worry.

"What is it?" Alec asks as Dean pulls the laptop over to have a look at what Ben found for himself.

"Both of the victims were originally from Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas" Ben explains.

"Well…that can't be a coincidence" Alec says.

"No, it can't" Dean frowns.

Dean stands up from the table and grabs his phone to call Sam, when Sam quickly enters the motel.

They both stare at each other for moment before they both blurt out, "dude, I gotta talk to you".

"Jinx" Alec mutters quietly to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Both twins could smell something strange coming from Meg but decided not to say anything because they thought it was just some horrible perfume. You can't really blame them for not knowing what a demon smells like yet because she's the first one they've met. They will learn in time.
> 
> I changed up how Dean found out about the connection between the victims slightly so that the boys had a little something to do.
> 
> This will be a two-chapter episode, if anyone is wondering.
> 
> Anyhow, hope you like this chapter and like usual if you like please kudos, bookmark and review!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	31. Shadow (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is late, and I am extremely sorry about that. I'll explain at the bottom as you probably just want to get to the story.
> 
> I hope the fact that this chapter is (unexpectedly) the longest chapter I've written so far will make up for the lateness a little bit.
> 
> We of course have Grandpa John in this chapter, and we also have a small flashback.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 31.  
Episode 16 (Shadow).

Ben and Alec knew they didn't like that Meg woman for a reason.

"So, hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva?" Dean says.

"Looks like she was using that black altar to control the thing".

"So, Sammy's got a thing for the bad girl", Dean chuckles as Sam rolls his eyes, "and what's the deal with that bowl again?"

"She was talking into it. The way witches used to scry into crystal balls or animal entrails. She was communicating with someone".

"With who? With the Daeva?"

"No, you said those things were savages. No, this was someone different. Someone who's giving her orders. Someone who's comin' to that warehouse".

"So there's  _another_  player in this?" Alec sighs, it's starting to get a little outnumbered.

"Dad, the victims" Ben pushes the laptop to face the brothers.

"Holy crap" Dean mutters.

"What?" Sam asks.

"What I was gonna tell you earlier. Ben did a little magic and was able to find the connection between the two victims that we missed the first time".

"What?" Sam bends down over the laptop to read the files Ben had found.

"The first victim, the old man, he spent his whole life in Chicago, but he wasn't born here" Ben explains.

"He was born in Lawrence, Kansas" Alec states.

"Then, Meredith, second victim. It turns out she was adopted. And guess where she's from" Ben highlights Lawrence, Kansas, then looks up at Sam.

"Holy crap" Sam mutters.

"Yeah" Dean agrees.

"I mean, it is where the demon killed Mom. That's where everything started. So, you think Meg's tied up with the demon?"

"I think it's a definite possibility".

Ben frowns, "but I don't understand. What's the significance of Lawrence? I mean, I get it's where Mary died…but what has that got to do with what's happening now?"

"And how do these Daeva things fit in? They aren't what killed Mary, so why are they being used now" Alec eyebrows scrunch up in confusion, something just didn't feel right.

"Beats me. But I say we trash that black altar, grab Meg, and have ourselves a friendly little interrogation to find out all the answers" Dean shrugs.

Sam shakes his head, "no, we can't. We shouldn't tip her off. We've gotta stake out that warehouse. We've gotta see who, or what, is showin' up to meet her".

"I'll tell you one thing. I don't think we should do this alone" Dean say's and the twins sit up straight. Dean looks over of them, "Yeah, no. I wasn't talking about you two. You'll be staying right here".

"What!" Alec glares at Dean, "who else is going to be your back up at such short notice? We can help!"

"It's to dangerous for you both-" Sam tries to cut in.

"We've been trained by both Manticore and you guys. We are strong and fast, we know what to do" Ben says. He did not what their dad and uncle to go by themselves.

"I don't care, you are staying here because I'm not having you guys in danger" Dean puts his foot down.

Alec growls in frustration and throws his hands up in the air. Ben had to admit, even he was getting annoyed.

"You can throw a tantrum all you want, it doesn't change the fact that you're not coming with us" Dean gives the boys an even stare.

"You're like a broken record!" Alec verges on yelling as he stomps his foot.

Dean raises an eyebrow at Alec's behaviour, "that just cost you a week's worth of desserts. Keep going and see what else you'll lose", Alec glares as Dean continues, "if this has anything to do with what happened to our mom, you're not going anywhere near Meg".

Both boys frowned hearing the final tone in their dad's voice. There was no way he was going to budge.

Alec huffs and grumbles as he walks off to sit and sulk on the bed, while Ben sighs and asks, "well if you don't think you should do it alone, who are you going to get to help you?"

Dean rubs the back off his neck, "if it's to do with mom, then dad needs to know about it".

Alec wants to roll his eyes, John didn't show up in Lawrence when there was something going on in the Winchesters old house, he highly doubts he'll show up now. Don't get him wrong, Alec would really like John to show up, even if it's just so they could see that the man was still alive and kickin…but John Winchester was one hard man to track down, so he's not holding out much hope that he'll show...or answer the phone.

"You go grab the weapons from the trunk" Dean turns to Sam, "you boys help your uncle carry everything in. I'll call dad".

Sam, Ben and Alec could easily tell that they were being sent away so Dean could call John in private, so the trio leave the motel room without a fuss.

Flipping open his phone once the motel door shuts, Dean calls John hoping that he will answer, but knowing that it'll go to voicemail.

He knows calling his dad is a bit of a long shot…but if this is the thing that killed their mom then they couldn't have just any random hunter as back up. It has to be their dad. The man has been hunting this thing for over twenty years, he has to be involved in killing the bastard.

Dean sighs deeply when John's voicemail message plays, "hey dad, I don't know where you are right now but me, Sam and the boys are down in Chicago, Illinois so I hope you're somewhere close by because you need to get here. We, well Sam, tracked this chick to a warehouse and…well we'll go over the details in person, but we think we've got a serious lead on the thing that killed Mom. So, uh, this warehouse, it's 1435 West Erie".

The motel door opens as Sam and the twins enter carrying bags of weapons and they dump them on Dean's bed.

"So, dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can" Dean says before hanging up the phone.

"Voicemail?" Sam asks.

"Yeah" Dean nods before he gestures to the bags, "Jesus, what'd you get?"

Alec grins, "We ransacked the trunk!"

"I can see that" Dean chuckles.

"Holy water, exorcism rituals from about a half dozen religions, one of every weapon you own" Ben lists off as Sam and Dean rummage through the bags to start loading the guns.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything" Sam says and Dean nods.

"Uh, nope!" Dean takes the gun from Alec's hands, "we've gone over this you're n-".

"-not coming on this hunt" both boys finish while rolling their eyes.

Dean glares at them, "exactly".

"But just because we  _unfairly_  aren't coming on this hunt doesn't mean we can't help you prepare for it" Alec pouts.

"We've been handling and loading guns for over half of ours lives, remember" Ben points out.

Yeah, Dean hates to be reminded of that place and what it did to children.

"Since we are being  _unfairly_  removed from the hunt" Alec says as Dean and Sam roll their eyes, "we can at least be involved in this part" Alec waves his hands over the weapons, "it may make us a little less annoyed that we're being benched…plus we can so totally load those guns faster than you".

"You can't  _always_  treat us like little children, because we're not. We're soldiers" Ben states.

Closing his eyes in defeat, Dean sighs as he hands Alec the gun back, "okay, you kittens can help load up the guns, but that's it".

The twins grin at the small win as they start loading the guns.

A few minutes pass in silence before Dean speaks up "big night".

"Yeah. You nervous?" Sam asks.

"No. Why, are you?"

"No. No way" Sam pauses before he shakes his head, "God, could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing? That demon?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, all right?"

"I know. I'm just sayin', what if we did? What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month. Go back to school, be a person again".

Ben and Alec share a glance at one another. It didn't take a genetically empowered super soldiers with high IQ's to know that the subject of Sam going back to school, or just Sam leaving in general, was not a good subject.

"You wanna go back to school?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, once we're done hunting the thing".

"Huh".

The twin's wince to themselves at their dad's response. This conversation wasn't going to go anywhere good, so hopefully if they stay quiet they will be able to avoid the conversation.

"Why, is there something wrong with that?" Sam looks over at Dean.

"No. No, it's, uh, great. Good for you".

"I mean, what are you and the boys gonna do when it's all over?"

"It's never gonna be over. There's gonna be others. There's always gonna be somethin' to hunt".

Ben closes his eyes and begs Sam not to push it.

"But there's got to be something that you want for yourself-".

"Yeah, I don't want you to leave the second this thing's over, Sam".

Ben groans mentally…Sam was pushing it. He looks over to Alec who was giving him the 'well-what-did-you-expect' face.

"Dude, what's your problem?"

Dean stays silent for a while before he turns to look at Sam, "why do you think I drag you everywhere? Huh? I mean, why do you think I came and got you at Stanford in the first place?"

"Cause, Dad was in trouble. Cause, you wanted to find the thing that killed Mom".

"Yes, that, but it's more than that, man", Dean pauses again for a minute, "you and me and Dad and the boys…I mean, I want us… want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again. I mean…we've got Ben and Alec now. We can do the family thing…and, we've got to find those other kids".

"Dean, we are a family. I'd do anything for you and the boys. Of course, I'll keep a look out for the other children…but things will never be the way they were before.

Dean clearly looks heartbroken, "they could be".

"I don't want them to be" Sam shakes his head, "I'm not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you're gonna have to let me go my own way".

"Right" Dean bite tersely.

"We'll keep in contact more than we did before. At least I hope we will, because I still wanna be in your life and be in Ben and Alec's. You can call and visit whenever" Sam says, "things won't be like they were before I left for college, but it doesn't mean we should go back to radio silence. I'm going to go my own way, but you're still going to be in my life Dean".

Dean nods briefly but doesn't offer a verbal response.

Alec wonders whether it makes him a bad person if he hopes it isn't the demon that killed Mary, because then Sam will stay with them and not leave. Ben is tempted to grab his notebook and write a prayer to the Blue Lady to have her convince Sam to stay with them because they are a family.

* * *

 

Alec flops backwards onto bed with a big sigh, while Ben attempts to ignore his brother as the bounce from Alec's flop, jostles him. Alec turns his head to look at his brother and dramatically sighs again, louder than before. Ben bites the inside of his cheek and glares down at the book he's reading.

Sam and Dean had left almost two hours ago to Meg's warehouse so both boys are tense and bored and waiting for them to come back. It had taken the older brothers longer to leave the motel then they'd plan because the twins had tried one last attempt at coming along.

It obviously didn't work.

Sighing even louder, Alec shuffles a little closer to Ben, nudging him. Closing his eyes and snapping his book shut, Ben mentally counts to ten.

"What?"

"We should go hotwire a car and go after dad and uncle Sam".

Ben groans, "what is it with you and hotwiring cars!"

"Come on Ben! Let's face it, dad and uncle Sam are in that warehouse with Meg alone because what are the chances that John will actually show up" Alec sits up, "they need back up and we are not children, we're soldiers".

"I know we are, but going against dad's orders isn't going make him see us as soldiers. We have to show him that we are able to fight, but not by jumping into a fight that we don't have a lot of information on, half way through" Ben points out, "the only thing that will happen is dad and uncle Sam will be distracted by us being there and they may get hurt".

Alec pouts, but his silence shows that he understands what Ben said and see's that his brother is annoyingly right.

He hates it when Ben's right.

He hates having to wait and see if his dad and uncle Sam are going to be okay.

"How long do you think they'll be. They seem to be taking a long time".

Ben frowns and sighs, his eyebrows crossing in worry, "I don't know…but I suppose if these Daeva are as bad Caleb said they are, then I suppose dad and uncle Sam have to take their time so that they are careful".

"Since when does dad take his time with anything? Shoot first, think later…remember" Alec raises an eyebrow.

"Dad and uncle Sam are going to be fine" Ben glares at his brother slightly.

The Blue Lady was watching over them. She will keep them safe and bring them back.

Before anymore can be said the twins ears pick up the shuffling of heavy boots coming closer to their motel room. Normally they wouldn't think much of people walking past to get to their own rooms. They'd heard all sorts of different walks from different people over the past year that they've been living in motels.

However, this person was walking slowly and carefully towards their room, and this put the twins on edge.

Gracefully moving off the bed without a sound Ben tip toes over to the door. It was locked, but if anyone or anything wanted to get in, a crappy little lock wouldn't stop them. The twins had a plan worked out for a situation like this because they didn't really want to shoot first just in case it was an innocent person.

Ben picks up the shot gun, which is the only gun that Dean will let them use and it's only in case of this kind of emergency that they can use it, and stands against the wall next to the door. Just out of sight of anyone who walks into the room, and points the gun at the door ready to use just in case it isn't anyone friendly.

Alec sits down on the couch and pretends to watch the television. He was the distraction. Anyone who bursts into the room will see him first and if they aren't someone or something trying to kill them, like maybe Bobby decided to show up for some reason, Alec will shake his head at Ben. If it's someone who wants to kill them…well they'll start shooting the second they see Alec, but because of his speed he will quickly dodge as Ben fires the shot gun.

The footsteps stop outside of their door and the twins hold their breath.

"I'd rather not be out in the open for longer then I need to be" the gruff familiar voice of John Winchester comes from behind the door.

Ben and Alec's heads whip around to look at each other in shock, because…holy crap! John was actually here! He actually showed up.

Alec stands up and walk towards the door, "if we let him in, we need to be careful" he whispers to Ben, "just in case it isn't John".

Ben nods "I'll keep the shot gun on him, you test him" he moves away from the wall to stand next to his brother as Alec opens the door.

"Drink this" Alec throws the bottle of holy water at John.

As the man, who both twins hope is really John, drinks the water, they take a look at him. He seemed to look older then when they last saw him. Looking tired and worn down. Okay well, John has always had a tired and worn down look about him…but he seemed even more so now then the last time the had seen him, which was almost a year ago… … …

_The twins were packing up their stuff as they and Dean were heading New Orleans to check out a hunt. Alec was pretty excited to go to New Orleans because it seems like a fun, party central place to go._

_John on the other hand was heading for a different hunt California. It was often that they'd split up and go to different hunts, but it did happen from time to time when there seemed to be more monsters out and about then hunters._

" _I'll call you when the hunts over and we'll meet up half way" John says slinging his bag over his shoulder._

" _Yes Sir" Dean nods, zipping up his bag._

_With a clap on the shoulder for Dean and a nod of the head as a sign of goodbye for the twins, John was getting into his truck and driving away._

_At that moment in time neither John, Dean and the twins knew that this would be the last time that they'd see each other for almost a year._

_At that moment Dean and the twins were happily driving down to New Orleans, the music blasting and them singing out of tune to the songs._

_It only took Dean, with the help from the boy's in the form of research, just under a week to deal with the hunt. During that time, they hadn't heard from John, but no one was worried yet. He was just probably busy on his hunt, so they stayed in New Orleans for a few more days while waiting for John to call._

_After a few more days Dean started getting a little angsty but tried not to worry, and he figured he start heading towards California, heading towards his dad._

_While passing through a town in New Mexico they discovered a possible hunt, that when they investigated turn out to be a hunt, so Dean and the x-5's stopped to deal with that. It was a ghost hunt to Ben and Alec's delight, so they were allowed to be physically involved in the hunt._

_Time seemed to pass quickly during that time because before they knew it, it had been almost three weeks since they had last heard from John. Dean had tried calling but his phone was going straight to voicemail, so he was starting to get really worried._

_Ben and Alec could tell that Dean was starting to get really worried, even if the emotionally stunted man was trying not to show it._

_Though, truthfully, they were also getting very worried themselves. Ben showing it more so the Alec. He was constantly writing in his notebook to the Blue Lady, asking her to make sure John was alive. He didn't want to lose John, he didn't want to lose anyone…he couldn't._

_Then one morning after having breakfast Dean found he got a voicemail from John, which lead them all to feel both relief and dread. The man was still alive, but he said that everyone was in danger._

_The emotional toll of the past three weeks came to a break for Ben as he started to sob quietly due to the overwhelming feeling of dread that John was going to run head first into something dangerous enough that he didn't want them involved. When Ben started to cry, Alec began to freak out even more then he had been for the past few weeks._

_After Dean had calmed everyone down and gone over the voicemail a few times because there was EVP on the voicemail, Ben and Alec watched as Dean seemed to have a mental conversation with himself about something before the man sighed heavily and told them to pack up their stuff because they were going to find John._

" _We just have to make one little stop along the way" Dean says as he starts the Impala._

" _Where?" Alec asks._

" _Why?" Ben frowns._

" _We are going to Stanford to pick up my brother Sam, because we are going to need a little help"._

_Ben and Alec look at each other. They had heard a little about Dean's brother Sam, but not a whole lot. They weren't sure if it was wise to get help from someone who left his family…but desperate time called for desperate measures… … …_

They've all come a long way since then, and both twins are happy now that they did go and get uncle Sam from Stanford…even if he does want to go back again once it's all over…

"Now the silver" Alec says, holding up the small silver knife.

John holds out his hand and Alec makes a small slice, carefully watching for any reaction. Once they the twins were satisfied Ben lowers the shot gun, and they move out of the way to let John inside.

They weren't really sure whether or not to give John a hug. They last time they had seen the man, Dean was still just Dean, so they didn't know if it was okay to throw their arms around his neck and say "we missed you gramps". Especially since John was a bit like Dean in the whole 'no chick-flick moments', though he never uses those words of course.

"What are you doing here?" Ben asks as john closes the door, "I mean, we know why you're here, but why you are  _here_?"

"Yeah, dad gave you the address of the warehouse, so you could meet him and uncle Sam there" Alec nods.

John raises an eyebrow at the word's 'dad' and 'uncle', but neither boy seem to notice that Alec had said that. It seems like those words just rolled of the boy's tongue, and John honestly isn't all that surprised that Ben and Alec see Dean as their dad. Over the time that he had been with them and Dean before he left to find the demon, he could see Dean acting more and more like a father to the twins, and clearly since he's been gone, Dean has officially become their dad.

"I did stop by the warehouse, but I'm pretty sure the fight was over when I got there so I decided to come back here and wait for Sam and Dean".

"Where have you been all this time? Dad and uncle Sam have been trying to find you. Why have you been hiding?" Ben asks.

"I've been tracking the demon and it's to dangerous for you boys and Sam and Dean to be with me at the moment".

"But you're here now" Alec raises an eyebrow.

"Because I think was a trap for me from the demon, and I had to make sure Sam and Dean got out okay" Ben and Alec's eyes go wide with worry, so John adds, "which they did".

"I told you we should have hot wired a car and gone after them!" Alec glares at Ben.

"Stop with the stupid car!" Ben huffs with an eye roll.

John's eyes flicker between the boys. This was clearly some kind of argument that had a story behind it, but before they can continue arguing about the car, John watches has their heads perk up.

"Dad and uncle Sam are back" Ben's stance seems to almost completely relax.

Alec nods, "the Impala just pulled in".

"Told you they were fine" John says.

"Yeah, but there's you just saying they're fine and then them being here and proving that they are fine" Alec points out as he turns the television off. He's pretty sure that with John here, which was still a shock, that the rest of the night was going to be a lot of talking.

The twins could hear their dad and uncle walking towards the room.

"Why didn't you just leave that stuff in the car?" they heard their dad complain.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again, better safe than sorry" Sam says.

They listen as Dean puts his key in the lock then freeze as he probably noticed that the door wasn't locked, as the boys forgot to re-lock it after John arrived due to being surprised that John was here.

They can image that their dad and uncle are having a silent conversation about the unlocked door, before the door is thrown open as Sam and Dean step in with guns drawn, looking for a threat.

Dean's eyes land on the twins and roam over them for any sign of injuries before noticing that they are okay, but he doesn't put his gun away.

"Why the hell wasn't this door locked? What is the first rule-" Dean starts to rant.

"Dean" Sam interrupts his brother as he notices their father standing by the window.

"What?" Dean looks over to Sam to see him look elsewhere. Following his brother line of sight, he looks over to the window and is stunned to see his dad standing there, "dad?"

"Hey, boys" John smiles at his sons.

"That's why the door wasn't locked" Alec grins.

"But don't worry! We did the tests to make sure John was John, and I didn't put the shot gun down till we were sure" Ben also can't help but grin.

Dean walks over to his father and they hug. Pulling away from the hug Dean walks over to hug the twins and John looks over at Sam, "hi, Sam".

"Hey, dad" Sam says softly, still in slight shock.

"So" John looks over at Dean then nods his head in Ben and Alec's direction, "dad, huh".

"Uh…yeah, it's a sort of recent thing. A few months" Dean says as he runs a hand threw Ben's hair.

"It suits you".

Ben smiles, "dad's awesome. He's the best".

Dean snorts but brings the boy in for another hug.

"Question" Alec pipes up, "something we've, me and Ben, have been wondering for a while. If dad's dad, then does that make you grandpa?... Or maybe grandfather, if you prefer?… Grandpappy?... Gramps?... Paternal forebear?... Pa-".

"Paternal forebear?" Dean looks at his other son in amused confusion.

Alec shrugs, "I looked up other names for grandfather, in case John didn't want to be called grandpa".

John shakes his head in amusement, "grandpa will be fine".

Alec pouts, "you sure I can't tempt you with paternal forebear".

Sam chuckles, as Dean ruffles Alec hair.

It was a nice moment. A nice family moment, which of course couldn't last forever. Couldn't last five minutes really.

"Dad, what happened at the warehouse?" Ben asks and that brings everything back to reality. Some shit obviously went down as Dean had some semi-dried blood running down his face and Sam had three scratches on his cheek.

Dean turns to John, "dad, it was a trap. I didn't know, I'm sorry".

"It's all right. I thought it might've been".

"Were you there?"

"Yeah, I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive. She was the bad guy, right?"

"Yes, sir" both Sam and Dean nod.

"Meg?" Alec questions.

"Yeah" Dean confirms.

"Good. Well, it doesn't surprise me. It's tried to stop me before" John says.

"The demon has?" Sam asks.

"It knows I'm close. It knows I'm gonna kill it. Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell, actually kill it".

Dean's eyes widen in surprise, "how?"

"I'm workin' on that".

"Let us come with you. We'll help" Sam says, and Dean gives his brother a warning look.

"No, Sam. Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt".

"Dad, you don't have to worry about us".

"Of course I do. I'm your father" John pauses, "listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight".

"Yes, sir".

"It's good to see you again. It's been a long time".

"Too long" Sam nods as he and John hug.

"Aww, how sweet" Alec snorts and Dean wraps his arm around the child and places his hand over his mouth to keep Alec quiet.

Dean sighs happily to himself while Sam and John hug. The family was together and not at each other's throat, for once. It felt good…maybe too good because of the Winchester's luck, or un-luck.

Sam and John pull apart, but before anything more can be said or done, John gets thrown back into the cabinets and falls to the ground. Ben see's a shadow next to Sam's but before he can yell anything, Sam is knocked to the floor.

"No!" Dean shouts before he's thrown to the floor and the twins feel a sense of fear run down their backs because how the hell are you supposed to fight a shadow.

"Dad!" Ben blurs over to Dean only to get bashed into and knocked into the wall.

"Hey! Leave them alone" Alec growls blurring around the room. He didn't know if you could out-run these shadow creatures but he figured he'd give it a try because if they were focused on him then everyone else could get away.

Alec watches the shadows and dodges them, while the others started standing up, however he quickly gets smacked across the room into John, sending them both sprawling to the ground again.

"Hey!" Dean yells, barely getting to his feet before getting hit back down.

Ben feels his legs get pulled from under him and he gets yanked across the floor and bowled into the table, while Sam gets smacked down with a thud.

The five Winchesters continue getting flung around the room, groaning and swearing in pain as they have claw marks tear into their skin. Sam attempts to crawl over to the bag of weapons, but gets dragged away, claws piecing his leg.

"Ben, Alec" Sam bites out in pain, he figures that they'd be the only ones fast enough to get to the bag, "get to the bag and grab a flare".

Ben blurs his way to the bag and skids to a stop in front of it, immediately opening it up.

"These things are shadow demons, the flare should get rid of them" Sam attempts to block the attacks.

Pulling the flare from the bag and ignoring the throbbing pain from the gashes on his arm from the attack, Ben shouts, "shut your eyes!"

He lights up the flare and the room is instantly filled with smoke and a bright white light. The shadow demons vanish, or at least the Winchesters hope and presume so, as they can't actually see for themselves. Ben drops the flare on the ground and pats around for the weapon bag as he coughs up the smoke.

The other four Winchesters are also coughing and spluttering as they try to feel their way around their room, trying to squint against the blinding light of the flare. Both Ben and Alec attempt to open their eyes ever so slightly, but quickly slam them shut because the light was burningly painful for their enhanced senses.

"Ben, Alec!" Dean calls, as he stands up quickly but carefully.

"Here" came to replies in to different directions.

Ben grabs onto the weapons bag as he feels someone grab him from behind.

"I got one" Sam coughs, adjusting Ben in his arms and taking the bag from the boy to throw over his shoulder. Ben wraps his arms around Sam's neck, hissing in pain due to his scratched-up arm.

"Dad!" Dean shouts.

"Over here! I have Alec" John has an arm around the boy, holding him to his chest.

"Yeah, and he's handsy" Alec says, but without much of his usually snark, which didn't settle well with Dean.

Dean makes his way over to John and lifts Alec into his arms, and when all Alec does is snuggle into his neck with no comment, Dean feels worried. Helping his dad stand up, they make their way out of the room with Sam following behind them.

The group quickly makes their way down an alley to their cars and Dean gets more concerned when the feeling of dampness starts seeping into his shirt. They were all injured and roughed up, Dean himself could feel the stinging on his face from being clawed at, but it seems like Alec got hurt more so.

Once at the Impala, Dean sits Alec down on the hood to have a look at the boy who was being uncharacteristically quiet.

Even in the poorly lite alley, Dean could see that Alec looked a couple of shades paler then he normal does. A patch of Alec's hair looked darker then normal and running a hand through it confirmed that his head was bleeding slightly, so he could have a possible concussion. Alec shirt looked damp with what was clearly blood, which was what was seeping onto Dean shirt when he was holding the boy. Gently peeling up the child's shirt, Dean see's a couple of slashes across his chest.

"Is he okay?" Sam asks as he throws the bag of weapons into the Impala, Ben still in his arms.

Dean swallows his panic because panicking will not help his son, "he's got some pretty deep cuts on his chest that are bleeding quite a lot and I think he could have a possible concussion", Dean let's go of the shirt and bends down so he's face to face with Alec, rubbing a hand over the boy's cheek, "but you're going to be fine, Buddy".

"We heal faster then normal people" Ben reminds them, as John opens up his truck and pulls out a first aid kit.

"And if I believed in God, I'd be saying thank God for that fast healing" Dean says, "what about you Squirt. How you doin', huh?" Dean asks pulling off Alec's shirt altogether, as John opens up the first aid kit and starts pulling out gauze and wraps.

"It's just my arm, I'm fine. Pretty sure it's stopped bleeding" Ben finds himself getting put on the ground as Sam crouches down and starts prodding his arm.

"Alec, thing is going to sting a little" John's gruff voice being almost unusually soft as he unscrews the rubbing alcohol  **(I don't know if that's what you actually use, I'm not a doctor or anything)** and uses it to disinfect Alec chest wounds.

Alec hisses and digs his nails into Dean's arms, leaving little bloodied half-moon wounds.

"Do you think we should stitch him up?" Dean asks his father.

"It would be pointless" Ben says threw gritted teeth as Sam is still tending to his arm, "with in a few of hours they will be almost closed and within a couple of days they'll be gone all together".

"The bleeding does seem to be stopping" John looks over the chest, which looked a very angry shade of red, "We'll gauze and wrap it tight. Check in a few hours and make sure it is healing".

Dean nods and lets his dad handle it while he gently runs his hand threw Alec's hair hoping to provide some comfort to the boy who just looks quite miserable.

Sam finishes wrapping Ben's arm up and turns to Dean, "in case he does have a concussion, we'll need to keep him awake".

"Yeah" Dean temporally leaves Alec's side while John finishes up, to grab one of his own shirts for Alec to wear because the bagginess will feel more comfortable on his wounds.

Sam picks Ben back up, ignoring the pain in his leg. Himself, Dean and his dad could patch themselves up later once they put some distance between themselves and this place.

"Dad" Alec blinks up at Dean.

"Yeah Buddy?"

"Does this mean that I can get a rain check on the no dessert punishment? Cuz, I think a bit of ice cream would make me feel better".

Dean sighs in relief and grins, "Yeah Monkey, we can rain check the no dessert punishment".

"Good" Alec mumbles as Dean slides his shirt over the boy's head and carefully put his arms through the sleeves.

Sam hitches Ben up slightly in his hold, "all right, now we've patched up the kittens we'd better get going. We don't have much time. They aren't going to be gone much longer. Once the flares out, they'll be back".

"Wait, wait, wait! Sam, wait" Dean sighs, Why couldn't thing go their way for once. He turns to John, "dad, you can't come with us".

"What? What are you talkin' about?" Sam frowns.

"You boys…you're beat to hell and Alec looks like he got run over by hell" John shakes his head.

"Well you don't look like a ray of sunshine either" Alec grumbles as Dean lifts him off the Impala's hood and back into his arms.

Dean looks at his dad, "we'll be all right and Alec's already starting to bounce back".

"Dean, we should stick together. We'll go after those demons-" Sam starts.

"Sam! Listen to me! We almost got Dad and the twins killed in there" Dean turns to Sam, "don't you understand? They're not gonna stop. They're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him and the boys will get caught in the crossfire like they did today" Dean tightens his hold around Alec, "I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He…he's stronger without us around".

Sam looks over to John, "dad…no. After everything… after all the time we spent looking for you… Please. I gotta be a part of this fight".

"Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me, son", Sam shakes his head in denial but John smiles sadly, "okay, you've gotta let me go".

The alley is silent for a moment, the family standing in it close to tears. Sam sighs and nods his head, stepping back from his father slightly to show that he's letting him go.

"Bye grandpa" Ben says sadly.

"See you soon, paternal forebear" Alec yawns, snuggling into Dean's neck. Dean shakes his arms slightly to keep the boy awake, he wasn't going to risk a potential concussion.

John chuckles and shakes his head at Alec but can't deny the warm feeling of being a grandfather. He never thought he'd get that chance of being one, figured he'd die before that would happen, if it would have happened at all.

He walks back over to his truck and turns to face the boys one more time, "be careful, boys".

John climbs into his truck and drives away as Sam, Dean and the twins watch.

"Come on" Dean mutters turns to face the Impala and pauses. He looks down at Alec, then back to the Impala, "okay…just this once, Al you're going to sit in the front with me and uncle Sam, so we can keep an eye on you and keep you awake. Benny, you've got the whole back seat to yourself tonight. You can stretch out and relax".

Sam puts Ben down and opens the back door to let the child clamber in. Dean slides into the driver's seat with Alec in his lap.

"You doin' okay Bud?" Dean knows it's a pointless question.

Alec shrugs, "my chest hurts…my head too. I'll be fine, we heal fast remember…heal even faster with ice cream".

Dean snorts, "sure".

Sam slides into the passenger seat and Dean gently guides Alec off his lap and onto the seat, closer to Sam so that his brother can keep an eye on the boy while he drives.

"We'll keep driving for a few hours, maybe till the sun starts coming up, get some distance between us and here" Dean starts the engine, "then we'll find a motel, get cleaned up, make sure you boys are healing and get some rest".

"Wh-" Alec opens his mouth.

"And once we've done all that, we'll get some ice cream" Dean shakes his head with a small smile on his face as he drives out of the alley, Sam has his arm wrapped around Alec's shoulder and Ben is snuggled up under the blanket in the back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am REALLY sorry about the lack of writing. It's not because I forgot about you guys, but it's been because of my RA and the medication.
> 
> So far, every week for the past two months I've been having to go up to my doctors at least once a week, sometimes more, for doctor's appointments or blood tests because I have to be closely monitored on the medication I'm on for my RA.
> 
> The medication is also making me sick for part of the week, so it's all been a bit of a physical and emotional drain, meaning I haven't really been up to doing a lot of writing much recently.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this long-awaited chapter and grandpa John. The next episode will be, what I think is in most people's top 10 favourite episodes, Hell House! Pranks galore.
> 
> Please kudos, bookmark and review. They put a smile on my face!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	32. Episode 17, Hell House (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is the episode that I think a lot of you were waiting for and I hope by the time I’ve finished these chapters, it was worth the wait and everything you wanted.
> 
> I’m thinking that this will be a 3 chapter episode this time, and hopeful those parts will be up during this month as a bit of a Christmas present for you guys being amazing and sticking with this story and me.
> 
> Anyhow, please enjoy :)

Chapter 32.  
Episode 17 (Hell House).

Alec sighs quietly to himself as he drops his army men on his lap and looks out the window, watching the scene go by as Ben has his nose buried in one of his books.

He was bored…really bored. Ever since what happened in Chicago, they hadn’t really stopped anywhere for to long, wanting to put some distance between them. Plus, the elephant in the room of John Winchester. No one has really mentioned much of that subject yet, and Alec’s hoping it stays that way because it usually ends in an argument.

Also, their dad has become over protective again…or well more over protective then his usually amount of over protectiveness, just because he got a little scratched up on the last hunt.

Okay…so maybe he was more then just a little scratched up, but he healed! He is absolutely fine and full of energy, which he will use to make sure that their dad lets them help on this hunt. There was no way in hell that he was going to be left behind, which he knows his dad will try and do just because he and Ben got a little…fine, more than a little hurt by those stupid shadow/demonic pit bull/Daeva things.

Alec needs to be on this hunt so that he and Ben can prove to dad and uncle Sam that they can handle this. That they are super soldiers and can take a few hits and take down a bad guy…or, well…bad _thing_.

“Al” Alec snaps out of his thoughts and looks towards his dad who is grinning at him through the mirror.

Dean waves a plastic spoon up to show Alec before gently placing the spoon in Sam’s mouth with out waking his brother up. Look back at Alec through the mirror, he sees the boy’s eyes light up with glee and a smile pull at his lips. He was probably going to regret starting the prank wars because he knew first hand just how serious and competitive the twins can get with their pranking, especially Alec.

However, after the past couple of weeks everyone could do with a laugh and a chance to relax and have a bit of fun. As their dad, he feels like it’s his job to make sure that happens, so he’ll risk the prank wars.

Pulling out his phone, Dean flips it open and takes a photo of Sam with the spoon hanging out of his mouth. Dropping his phone down, he sends a wink back to Alec, before turning the music up loud.

“Fire...of unknown origins” Dean sings loudly, making Ben’s head jump up from his book and blink rapidly in surprise.

Alec grins and joins in, so both he and Dean are singing…or yelling, “took my baby away!”

Sam jerks up, and both Ben and Alec start laughing as Sam starts waving his arms around his face in panic, before he spits out the spoon. Dean air drums along with the song on the steering wheel and glances over at Sam, a huge smug grin on his face. Sam bitch faces Dean as he wipes his mouth and turns down the music.

“Ha ha, very funny” Sam rolls his eyes.

Dean chuckles, “sorry, not a lot of scenery here in East Texas, kinda gotta make your own. Plus, gotta keep the kids entertained”.

Ben and Alec’s giggles start to taper off, but the amused smiles remain planted on their faces.

“We're not kids anymore Dean. We're not going to start that crap up again” Sam warns.

“Start what up?”

“That prank stuff. It's stupid, and it always escalates”. 

“Aw, what's the matter Sammy, scared you're going to get a little Nair in your shampoo again huh?” Dean grins.

Alec snorts in glee. This was going to be awesome.

“All right, just remember you started it” Sam huffs.

“Ha, bring it on baldy”.

“Is that why you don’t cut your hair now uncle Sam?” Ben asks, “cuz, you were bald, and it scared you, so you like to keep your hair long?”

Dean struggles to contain his laughter, “you know, I never thought of that…but after the Nair prank, you did stop having your hair cut as much”.

“Screw you” Sam glares at his brother as the twins begin to giggle again.

“I love pranks” Alec beams and Sam get’s a horrible feeling run threw him as he remembers, back when he first came back on the road, Dean mentioning something about not starting a prank war with the twins as they are relentless.

“Where are we anyway?” Sam asks, opening up his laptop, wanting to get away from the subjects of pranks.

“A few hours outside of Richardson. Gimme the lowdown again?” Dean says getting back to business.

“All right, about a month or two ago this group of kids goes poking around in this local haunted house”.

“Why?” Alec shakes his head, “why do people do stupid stuff like this?”

“Cuz they’re stupid Buddy” Dean sighs and turns back to Sam, “haunted by what?

“Apparently, a pretty misogynistic spirit. Legend goes, it takes girls and strings them up in the rafters. Anyway, this group of kids see this dead girl hanging in the cellar”.

“Anybody ID the corpse?”

“Well, that's the thing. By the time the cops got there the body was gone. So, cops are saying the kids were just yanking chains”.

“Maybe the police are right?” Ben shrugs.

“Maybe, but I read a couple of the kids first-hand accounts. They seemed pretty sincere”.

“Where'd you read these accounts?” Dean asks.

Sam shifts in his seat a little, “well, I knew we were going to be passing through Texas. So, umm, last night, I surfed some local…paranormal websites. And I found one”.

“And what's it called”.

“HellHoundsLair .com”

Dean snorts, “Lemme guess, streaming live out of Mom's basement”.

“Yeah, probably” Sam grins.

“Yeah. Most of those websites wouldn't know a ghost if it bit 'em in the...” Dean looks back at the twins through the mirror, “in the behind”.

Ben and Alec roll their eyes at their dad’s attempt to hide them from ‘bad’ words.

“Look. We let Dad take off. Which was a mistake, by the way. And now we don't know where the hell he is, so meantime we gotta find ourselves something to hunt. There's no harm checking this thing out” Sam gives Dean a firm look.

“All right. So where do we find these kids?”

“Same place you always find kids in a town like this”.

* * *

Alec and Ben perk up as Sam and Dean start heading back to the Impala, with takeout in their hands and a ‘I’m-done-with-this-crap’ face. They sit up in their seat as the older brothers slide into the Impala and shut the doors.

“Don’t eat yet Munchkins” Dean hands the food over to the boys, “there’s a motel just down the road, we’ll eat there”.

“What’s wrong? Were the witnesses not helpful?” Ben asks taking note of his dads worn out face.

Dean snorts, turning on the engine and driving away from the diner, “you could say that. We have three different versions off what happened because not one of the three could remember the same details as the others”.

Sam opens his notebook, “first guy said that the walls were painted red and that there were pentagons drawn all over the place. He also said that the dead girl had blonde hair and was still kicking”.

“How could she be a dead girl if she was still kicking?” Alec sneaks a couple of fries into his mouth.

“Yeah well according the girl, the dead girl wasn’t moving she was just hanging there, and she had red hair instead”.

“She also said that she thought it was blood on the walls, but she also had her eyes closed _‘the whole time’_ so…” Dean sighs.

“Do we want to know what the other witness thought he saw?” Ben frowns.

“He said that the walls were painted black and there were stars and crosses drawn on the walls” Sam closes the notebook, “and he thought that the dead girl had black hair”.

“The only thing that the all agreed on was how they found out about that place” Dean says, “from a guy called Craig Thurston. He works at a music shop in town, which we’ll go to tomorrow. We’ve been in Baby all day, once you’ve eaten it’ll be bed time”.

“But-“ Alec pouts.

“Plus, it’s getting late anyway” Dean pulls into a motel, “I’ll get a room, you guys start getting the bags out”, he pulls the Impala into a parking spot.

Dean hands Sam the keys, climbs out and heads over to the reception, Sam turns to the boys, “come on then kittens”.

Alec huffs, but shuffles out after his brother after stealing a few more fries from the takeout bag. Sam hands Alec and Ben’s duffels to each boy and grabs his and Dean’s for himself before locking up the Impala.

“We’re over here” Dean’s voice calls from a few rooms away.

The twins skip off towards Dean, who is unlocking their room, while Sam trails behind.

The group gets settled in the room, dropping their bags on the beds and handing out the food. Dean has to, once again, remind Alec to eat smaller bites and to wipe his mouth with napkins and _not_ his damn sleeve.

“It’s just quicker to use my sleeve that’s literally right here” Alec waves his arm about, “instead of reaching for a napkin”.

“The napkin is literally right there too!”

“Yeah, but if I used the napkin then I wouldn’t get the fun of irritating you dad”.

Dean glares at Alec, and the boy just grins in return.

“If you have finished eating, go shower and get ready for bed first” Sam interrupts.

Alec rolls his eyes but shuffles off his chair, grabs his bag from the bed and heads to the bathroom with his head down, so no one could see his grin.

A few minutes later, Ben decides to try and talk to their dad about letting him and Alec help out more on hunts. As much as they’d like to be normal children, they aren’t. They have enhancements and skills that are being wasted, when they should be using them to help save people and kill monsters.

“So, dad, after you and uncle Sam talk to Craig Thurston and get some more information, will we be checking out the house?” Ben asks, nibbling at a chicken strip.

“Yeah-“.

“And me and Alec will be coming along right? Since this looks to be a ghost hunt”.

“We don’t know for sure if this is a ghost”.

“Dad” Ben sighs and gives Dean a look.

Dean raises an eyebrow, “…yes?”

“I understand that you would like me and Alec to be children and to be safe, but that’s not who we are. We are soldiers, we were literally made to fight” Ben wipes his hands with the napkin, “and the fact that we have the enhancements means we can do more than most, so we _should_ be doing more with them”.

“Ben-“.

“You need to let us help on more hunts dad. We are stronger then we look. You _know_ how strong we are, and you _know_ what we can do. _Use_ us on hunts, we are useful and it’s a smart move on your part _to_ use us because it’s more fire power. Fire power that monsters will underestimate because we look like innocent little children”.

“I hate it Dean-“ Sam sighs.

“Don’t say it” Dean warns.

“-but Ben has a point”.

“I told you not to say it”.

“I’m just saying that he makes good points” Sam shrugs, “plus, wouldn’t it be a good idea to start training them up in a few other types of hunts and monsters just in case we aren’t around, or something happens, and the boys need to know how to kill a monster?”

Dean sulks in his chair. He hates that both Sam and Ben are right because he doesn’t want to put his boys in the line of danger by having them go on more hunts…but _damn it_! They are both right.

“Fine” Dean pouts and Ben grins, “but! But! We’re going to take it slowly. One monster at a time”.

Ben holds back on rolling his eyes, “okay, fair enough”.

Dean leans over the table and steals what’s left of Sam’s burger.

“Dean! What the hell?”

“This” Dean waves his finger around the stolen burger, “this is because I told you not to say it”.

Sam bitch-faces Dean, “jerk”.

“Bitch” Dean bites into the burger while Ben giggles.

The bathroom door opens slightly and Alec glides into the room in his pyjamas, his hair damp from the shower and a grin on his face. He drops his bag on the floor before sitting on the foot of the bed.

“All done! I’m squeaky clean”.

“For once” Ben mutters with a smirk.

“Ha ha” Alec pokes out his tongue.

Dean rolls his eyes, “you’re up Benny”.

Ben jumps to his feet and grabs his pyjamas from his bag before walking to the bathroom. He absentmindedly pushes the bathroom door open, only to jump a foot in the air and dropping his pyjamas when a loud klaxon like sound blares out of nowhere for a moment. Ben turns back to look at Sam and Dean and sees that they share the same surprised and alarmed faces, as well as them having drawn their guns out in reflex.

The only person who isn’t surprised, is Alec. Everyone turns to the boy who is rolling on the bed laughing.

“Alec!” Ben growls.

Alec wipes an imaginary tear away from his eye as his laughing settles, “gotcha”.

“What the hell was that?” Sam asks, relaxing and putting his gun away.

“An air horn”.

“Air horn?” Dean should have expected something from Alec after the prank on Sam in the Impala, especially when the boy took his bag into the bathroom instead of just his pyjamas. It was his own fault for letting his guard down when he knows first hand what this child was like when it came to pranks.

“Yep, an air horn tapped to the back of the door, so anyone who opens the door to wide…gets a bit of a shock”.

Ben steps into the bathroom and moves the door to find the air horn. Ben glares at the air horn before ripping it off. Walking back out of the bathroom, Ben throws the air horn into the trash, then turns to glare at Alec with his arms folded.

Dean looks over at Alec in confusion, “how long have you had an air horn? There’s no way you were able to go get one today”.

“Since the last prank war, “Alec shrugs, “always good to be prepared”.

Ben continues to glare at Alec, “fine, I wasn’t going to get involved. I was going to sit back and let you prank with uncle Sam and dad-“.

“Well that was your first mistake, brother of mine” Alec grins, “thinking that you could escape being involved in prank wars”.

“Now, I’m going to destroy you”.

“Bring it”

Sam bitch faces Dean, “look what you started”.

“It would have happened sooner or later anyway” Dean sighs, “you heard him, he already had an air horn in his bag ready”.

A scary realisation hit’s Sam and he turns to Alec, “do you have any more stuff for pranks in your bag?”

Alec just shrugs with a smug grin, “I have stuff for pranks hidden everywhere”.

“Oh God” Dean closes his eyes.

* * *

Neither boy was happy when they had to ‘stay in the car’ while Sam and Dean talked to Craig Thurston, however getting to check out the house with them makes up for it, because haunted house was way better then talking to some witness.

The group walk up the muddy path to the house.

“Yeah…this looks like it could be a haunted house” Alec nods, looking over the house, “or the home of a serial killer”.

“You can wait in the Impala if you want” Dean says, hoping the boys will go, however both boys give him the ‘as if’ face, “it was worth a try”.

Sam snorts, “like they would prefer sitting in the car over going inside a possibly haunted house with a possible killer ghost”.

“A possible killer ghost who only kills girls” Ben points out, “so it’s not like we should be in any danger”.

“Famous last words” Alec shakes his head at Ben, “it was nice knowing you”.

Dean sighs, “come on, let’s look around the outside first. Ben with me, Al with your uncle”.

Sam takes Alec to search around the back of the house, while Dean pulls out the EMF.

“I don’t get it” Ben sighs.

“Don’t get what Squirt?”

“You said, that Craig said, that this Mordachai Murdoch guy hung his daughters so that they didn’t suffer by starving to death”.

“Yeah”.

“Surely they still suffered a bit because you don’t die instantly when you get hung. They would have spent a minute or so struggling to breathe. Why would he have shot them in the head while they slept or something? That way they really wouldn’t have suffered”.

“The dude was crazy, he killed his own kids” there was no way in hell that Dean would ever or could ever do that, “when people are that crazy all logic and sense go out of the window”.

Dean turns on the EMF and it starts making sounds.

“We have a ghost?”

“I don’t think it’s a ghost” Dean looks up at the power lines.

“You got something?” Sam asks as he and Alec walk back over.

“The EMFs no good”.

“Why?”

Dean gestures towards the overhead power lines, “I think that thing's still got a little juice in it. It's screwing with all the readings”.

“Yeah that'd do it”.

“Yeah. Come on, let's go” Dean looks down at the boys, “you can still head back to the Impala”.

“Yeah…nope!” Alec raises an eyebrow.

“Worth a shot”.

The group walk into the house, Sam shutting the squeaky door behind them.

“Of course it has a squeaky door” Alec mutters, “they always have squeaky doors”.

Dean whistles as he looks around at all the symbols on the walls, “looks like old man Murdock was a bit of a tagger here in his time”.

“And after his time too. That reverse cross has been used by Satanists for centuries, but this sigil of sulfur didn't show up in San Franciso until the '60s” Sam flips out his phone and takes a picture of the symbols.

“That is exactly why you never get laid” Dean shakes his head and continues to look around”, hey what about this one, you seen this one before?”

Sam, Ben and Alec move to look at the symbol Dean was pointing out. It looks like a cross with a dot in the middle, and the bottom line of the cross looks more like an upside-down question mark.

“No” Sam takes a picture of it.

“I’ve not come across it in any of the books” Ben frowns.

“Well I’ve seen it. Somewhere” Dean tilts his head at the symbol.

Sam reaches up and rubs the symbol, “It's paint. Seems pretty fresh too”.

Ben and Alec hear quiet shuffling coming from what the guess is the next room, which puts them on high alert. The share a look with one another to make sure they both heard it.

“I don't know Sam. You know I hate to agree with authority figures of any kind, but…the cops may be right about this one”.

“Yeah, maybe” Sam sighs.

“Dad, someone or something is here” Alec whispers, nodding his head in the direction of the shuffling.

Suddenly the sound of something wooden falling over in the same direction that the shuffling had come from puts the whole group on alert. Dean indicates for the boys to stay behind him and Sam, as they quietly move towards the door the sounds had been coming from. They stand either side of the door and take a brief moment before the they burst through the door with Ben and Alec behind them. Bright lights shine in their eyes for a few seconds before they disappear, and the group can see two guys standing in the room.

“Oh, cut. It's just a coupla humans” the guy with the glasses and the beard.

“What are you guys doing here?” the other guys asks.

“What they hell are you doing here?” Dean stares at the two men.

“Ah-ha-ha. We belong here, we're professionals?” glasses gives them a ‘duh’ face.

“Professional what?” Ben asks.

“Paranormal Investigators” glasses hands Dean a business card, “there you go, take a look at that, boys”

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me” Dean was already done with this.

Sam looks at the business card, “Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spengler? Hellhoundslair.com. You guys run that website”.

“Yeah” Ed nods, though Alec was going to keep calling him glasses.

“Oh yeah, yeah, we're huge fans” Dean hides his eye roll as he walks past them.

“And we know who you guys are too”.

Sam and Dean look at him sharply, while Ben and Alec’s eyes widen in slight panic.

“Oh yeah?” Sam asks slowly.

“Amateurs” Ed, aka glasses, states and Dean loses interest, “looking for ghosts and cheap thrills”.

“Yeah…you got us” Ben fake grins at the pair.

“Yep. So, if you guys don't mind, we're trying to conduct a serious scientific investigation here” Harry says.

“Yeah, what have you got so far?” Dean opens a cupboard and looks around.

“Harry, why doncha tell 'em about EMF?”

“Well...”

Sam plays dumb and hides his smirk, “EMF?”

“Electromagnetic field? Spectral entities can cause energy fluctuations that can be read with an EMF detector. Like this bad boy right here”.

“Wow…” Alec sarcastically.

“So cool” Ben nods.

Harry turns on the EMF on as Dean smirks at Sam.

“Whoa. Whoa. It's 2.8mg” Harry looks around.

“2.8. It's hot in here” Ed exclaims. 

Dean whistles in admiration while Sam nods, “wow”. 

“Huh. So, you guys ever really seen a ghost before, or…” Dean asks because he was curious just how amateur these guys are. Sam was still trying not to laugh.

“Once. We were, uh…we were investigating this old house and we saw a vase fall right off the table…”

“By itself”.

“No way!” Ben gives his best ‘I’m-in-awe-of-this’ face.

“Well, we, we-we-we didn't actually see it, we heard it. And something like that…it uh…it changes you” Ed turns to Sam while Dean shakes his head.

“…wow. Truly terrifying” Alec mutters and Ben quietly giggles.

“Yeah. I think I get the picture. We should go, let them get back to work” Dean says.

“Yeah, you should” Ed nods.

“Sam, boys” Dean gestures for them to start leaving.

As the walk out of the house and back down the muddy path, Alec snorts with laughter.

“Tell me about” Dean sighs rubbing a hand over his face.

“They heard a vase fall over and it changed them” Ben shakes his head in disbelief as Alec continues to giggle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope you guys liked this chapter and Alec’s little prank. It was a little naive of Ben to think that he wouldn’t get pulled into the prank wars wasn’t it?
> 
> Please kudos, bookmark and review because you guys keep me writing.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	33. Hell House (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter of Hell House, along with a few more little pranks. 
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 33.  
Episode 17 (Hell House).

"Are you sure you don't mind giving me the money, uncle Sam?" Ben asks, as they walk into the shop.

"Just as long as you aren't using it to prank me it's fine Benny".

"There's only one person I want to prank" Ben looks at the signs in the store, looking for the aisle he needs, "I'm going to beat Alec at this stupid prank war, even if it's the last thing I do".

Sam snorts, an amused smile on his face before asking the boy, "what are you planning on doing anyway?"

"It's a surprise".

"Fair enough" Sam pulls out some money and hands it to Ben, "get what you need then come find me. Don't leave the store, but be quick. We're supposed to be researching".

Once the group had left the hell house and the paranormal idiots, they split up to try and find some more information in the hopes of finding out if this is a real case. He and uncle Sam are on library duty because they're the 'nerds'…like that's a bad thing, while dad and Alec went to talk to the witnesses again and possibly visit the police station. Well, dad will visit the police station, Alec will have to wait outside.

Ben quickly heads to the aisle that he needs and looks along the shelves until he finds what he's looking for. With a gleeful grin on this face he grabs what he needs and walks over to the till. The cashier looks at him a little strangely, but Ben just asks for a bag, so he can hide what he's bought, and pays. Giving the cashier a polite "thank you", Ben quickly finds Sam.

"Got it?" Sam asks.

Ben smiles and holds up his bag, "yep. Alec's not going to know what hit him", he just had to wait for the right time to use it.

"Honestly…I'm a little scared of you boys at the moment" and he wasn't kidding, "right, let's get going. We have research to do…and I need a little help getting into the Impala, so I can prank Dean".

"…well…I do need to put this", Ben gestures to the bag, "out of the way and out of sight. I suppose, since you gave me money for my prank, I could help you open up the Impala".

"I think we could make a great team Benny" Sam ruffles the boy's hair as they leave the shop and head for the Impala and the library.

* * *

 

Dean and Alec walk towards Sam and Ben as they leave the library and walk down the steps.

"Hey" Sam says as he notices Dean and Alec approach.

"Hey. What you got?" Dean asks as they group walk towards the Impala.

"Well, we couldn't find a Mordechai, but I did find a Martin Murdock who lived in that house in the '30s. He did have children but only two of them, both boys, and there's no evidence he ever killed anyone".

"So, nothing matching up to the ghost story that the Craig guy heard" Alec sighs.

"Nope" Sam nods, "what about you guys?"

Dean stops walking as they reach the Impala and he stands at the driver's side door, "well those kids didn't really give us a clear description of that dead girl, even the second time round, but I did hit up the police station. No matching missing persons. It's like she never existed", Dean shakes his head, "we did our digging, this one's a bust all right".

"I guess if there's no body, no evidence of a body or missing person and no research to back anything up about the supposed haunting…then I suppose it must have been fake" Ben suggests.

"Yep", Dean shrugs, "for all we know those HellHound boys made up the whole thing".

Sam frowns, "yeah all right".

"I say we find ourselves a bar and some beers and leave the legend to the locals" Dean says as he slides into the Impala.

Alec goes to also get in the Impala, but notices that Sam and Ben don't make a move to get in, and instead start smiling. Taking his hand off the door handle, Alec takes a small step back, because clearly something was about to happen from the way Sam was leaning down, to look in through the window.

Dean turns the key in the ignition, not noticing he was the only one who got in the Impala. Instantly Latino pop-dance music blasts from the speakers making Dean jump back in his seat in shock. As he tries to turn it off, the wipers turn on instead.

"WHOA! What the…" Dean quickly turns everything off.

Ben and Alec crawl into the back, laughing loudly, as Sam gets in sniggering with a clearly smug look written on his face. He licks his finger and marks an imaginary '1' in the air then points to himself.

Dean gives Sam his dirtiest look, "that's all you got?" He shakes his head, "weak. That is bush league".

"It still got you though, didn't it, dad?" Ben says as his laughter calms down into little giggles here and there.

"You helped him didn't you" Dean turns to Ben

"You have no proof".

"How else could he have gotten into Baby without the keys?

Ben shrugs, with a face that portrays no innocence, "uncle Sam went to college remember. He's smart".

"You picked the wrong side Squirt" Dean warns as he the Impala drives off.

* * *

 

Alec strolls over to the motel door an unlocks it for his dad and uncle. They had gone back to the hell house this morning as a body of a young women had been found there, so it seems as though they may have been wrong, and this really was something.

"Well?" Ben asks as Sam and Dean enter.

"Well, it appears that the girl hung herself" Dean sighs, closing the door, "cops are saying suicide, however she apparently was a straight 'A' student with a full fide to UT".

"So, it doesn't make sense that that she'd kill herself" Ben concludes.

"What's the next step then? I mean, we've tried researching and we come up with nothing" Alec points out.

"We go back to the house tonight and check it out again, see what we missed the first time" Sam says as he opens his laptop bag. He pauses his movements as he looks into the bag.

Dean notices Sam pause, "what?"

Sam sighs as he pulls out his laptop, which is wrapped up tight in cling film.  **(I think cling film is called saran wrap in America).**  Sam looks at his laptop before shaking his head and looking at Alec, who is giving the least convincing innocent face Sam has ever seen, "really, Alec?"

"Who says it was me?" Alec squawks.

"Your face says it was you, and Dean's been with me all morning".

"What about Ben? He could have done it."

"We have a truce" Ben pipes up, "we make a good team".

"Exactly" Sam starts the gruelling task of un-wrapping all of the cling film from his laptop.

Dean tilts his head, "where…where did you get the cling film?"

"I told you, I have stuff for pranks  _everywhere_ " Alec grins.

"What did I start" Dean mumbles to himself.

* * *

 

The group of Winchesters crouch down in the bushes, the dark of the night helping to conceal them. A police car is parked outside the hell house, with a couple of cops standing guard.

"I guess the cops don't want anyone else screwing around in there" Sam whispers.

"Yeah but we still gotta get in there" Dean mutters.

Ben and Alec hear not so hushed whispers coming closer to them. They carefully peek their heads up from behind the bushes and roll their eyes when they see the idiots from yesterday, hunched over and wearing all sorts of gadgets.

"You have to be kidding me" Alec shakes his head.

Ben nudges Sam and Dean to look down the path. They spin around to look, and Dean drops his head and quietly groans in annoyance.

"I don't believe it" Dean shakes his head. Looking back at the cops Dean grins, "I got an idea".

"What?" Ben asks.

Dean turns towards the cops and cups a hand to his mouth,

He rises slightly, turns towards the cops and cups a hand to his mouth, "who ya gonna call!"

Alec slams a hand over his mouth to hide his giggles as Tweedledumb and Tweedledee stand up in confusion, only for the cops to see them.

"Hey! You!" one of the cops yells as they chase after Ed and Harry, who run back down the path.

Once the cops are a safe distance away, the group laugh out loud as they run for the house. When they get inside Sam breaks out the rifles and hands one to Dean, while Ben and Alec grip their iron pipes. Dean turns on his flashlight and starts looking around the room.

Dean's eyes land on the symbol from yesterday, "where have I seen that symbol before? It's killing me!"

"Come on, we don't have much time" Sam says.

They make their way down to the basement, and slowly and carefully look around. None of them wanted to miss anything. Dean notices the jars on the shelves and picks one up to have a closer look. A pale red liquid sloshes around inside.

Dean grins, "hey Sam. I dare you to take a swig of this".

"What the hell would I do that for?" Sam stares and Dean.

"…I double dare you".

Sam just shakes his head and looks away.

"I'll do it if you pay me" Alec pipes.

"No, you won't" both Dean and Sam say immediately.

"Kill joys" Alec mutters.

"Please never drink strange liquids" Dean turns to the child.

"You were just trying to get uncle Sam to drink it" Ben points out.

"Yeah, but I knew Sam wouldn't drink it…Alec on the other hand…" Dean trials off.

"Hey!" Alec pouts as Dean ruffles Alec's hair and grins down at the boys.

A noise towards the side of the room in a cabinet has the group on high alert. They quickly glide over towards the cabinet. Dean nods at Sam, and he opens the door. A rat squeaks and runs out of the cabinet.

Alec hisses at the rat and Ben jumps back into Dean in surprise.

"Arghh! I hate rats" Dean lifts his foot up and away from the escaping rat.

"You'd rather it was a ghost?" Sam asks.

"Yes".

Ben's eyes widen as Mordechai appears behind Sam, "you spoke to soon dad!"

Sam and Dean realize what Ben meant at the same time and they swing around to see Mordechai raising his axe above his head. Sam shoots him twice, but it doesn't appear to do anything.

"Well, that's not good" Alec quips.

Ben tightens his grip on his iron pipe as he hits it at Mordechai, but instead of misting away like a ghost should, Mordechai just stumbles back slightly. Sam grabs Ben's arm and moves the boy back and way from the 'ghost'. Dean raises his shot gun and shoots at Mordechai again and this time he mists away.

"What the hell kind of spirit is immune to rock salt and iron?" Ben yells.

"I dunno, but we've got to get out of here. Come on!" Dean starts pushing the boys back towards the stairs.

As they run towards the stairs Mordechai smashes his axe down, catching the shelves and bringing the jars crashing down on Dean and the twins. Mordechai and Sam begin fighting, while Dean and the boys shake off the glass.

"Go! Get out of here!" Sam grunts as he struggles with Mordechai.

Alec runs and slams into Mordechai, smashing him into the electrical box causing sparks to fly everywhere.

"Go!" Dean shouts as he grabs Ben and Alec's arms and pulls them upstairs and they bolt towards the door. Neither Ben or Alec blurring out of the house because they don't want to leave dad or uncle Sam behind.

The group burst out of the house, falling through the police tape and trip over each other causing them to roll down the steps. Ben and Alec are first on their feet and quickly pull Dean and Sam up.

Their faces are immediately met with a camera and the two idiots from earlier blocking their way.

"Get that damn thing outta my face" Dean growls, pushing the boys past Ed and Harry.

"Go, go, go!" Sam says as the four of them run back down the path.

* * *

 

Alec stands quietly next to Dean, who is asleep. He knows that he needs to go slow and careful with this prank because he can't have his dad waking up before it's ready. Grinning, he quickly shakes the shaving foam can and then carefully squeezes a good amount on his dad's hand.

The shaving foam prank is a classic, and just the bit of fun everyone needed after last night's run in with the ghost that's probably not a ghost.

With a satisfied smile, Alec stands up straight and catches Ben's eyes, which has disapproval written in them. Alec sticks out his tongue before putting the shaving foam back in the bathroom. He wished the idea of the prank had hit him before uncle Sam had woken up and left to get breakfast, but at least he got someone.

Plus, now it means that he's pranked everyone in the family. He got Ben with the air horn, uncle Sam with the cling film and now dad with shaving foam.

Walking back over to his dad, Alec knees on the bed next to his head and starts tickling his nose. Dean scrunches up his nose and turns his head away. Alec continues to tickle at his nose and eventually Dean wipes his foam-covered hand across his face, freezing as the foam touches his face.

"Alec…" Deans voice says slowly, his eyes still closed, "tell me you didn't".

Alec snorts, "I think you've got a little…something on your face dad".

Dean groans and opens his eyes to meet the shit eating grin of Alec.

"I played no part in this" Ben says from his position on Sam's bed, his head in his book.

"No, he didn't, cuz he's boring" Alec sticks his tongue out at his brother.

Grinning, Dean quickly sits up and wraps his arm around Alec, pulling the boy to his chest. Then begins to cover the child's face with the bit of shaving foam that was still in his hand. Alec squeals and worms his way out of his father's arms, quickly blurring to the other side of the room.

"Dad!" Alec pouts without feeling as his mouth quickly morphs into a smile. He wipes his face, with his sleeve of course.

The motel door opens, and Sam walks in with breakfast. He drops the food onto the table and turns around. He lets out a chuckle when his eyes land on Dean and his foam-covered face.

"yeah, laugh it up" Dean rolls his eyes, getting up from the bed and heading to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

"Alec?" Sam asks, already knowing that it was probably the boy anyway.

"Yep!" Alec pops the 'p', "shaving foam while sleeping prank".

Sam nods in appreciation, "classic. Nice".

"Thank you".

"Grab some breakfast, we've got a long day ahead of us trying to figure out what's going on with that house".

Ben puts down his book and joins Sam and Alec at the table. Ten minutes later Dean comes out of the bathroom and joins the boys at the table, stuffing his face with food just like Alec. Sam and Ben watch the pair with squinted eyes of slight disgust. Sharing a look with each other they shake their heads and continue eating, in a less animal-like fashion.

Once their stomachs are full and happy, the group get down to business. Sam pulls out his laptop and Ben helps him search. Alec has John's journal, looking through it to see if there is anything in there. Dean, with his mind still on the symbol, sits down on the bed and draws it, hoping it will jog his memory as to why it looks familiar.

"What the hell is this symbol? It's buggin' the hell outta me" Dean growls. He is starting to get really frustrated, "this whole damn job's buggin' me. I thought the legend said Mordechai only goes after chicks".

"It does" Sam doesn't look up from his laptop.

"All right. Well I mean that explains why he went after you, but why me?" Dean says, and Alec snorts out a laugh. Ben also grins in amusement.

"Hilarious", Sam bitch faces his brother, "the legend also says he hung himself, but did you see those slit wrists?"

"Yeah".

"I didn't" Alec closes the journal, "I was too busy looking at the axe he was swinging at us".

"Yeah, and what's up with that? The axe" Sam nods, "I mean, ghosts are usually pretty strict, right? Following the same patterns over and over?"

"But this mook keeps changing", Dean sighs in annoyance.

"Exactly. I'm telling you, the way the story goes-".

"Wait a minute" Ben interrupts, looking at the laptop with a confused frown on his face.

"What?" Dean asks.

"Someone added a new post to the Hell Hound site. Listen to this. 'They say Mordechai Murdock was really a Satanist who chopped up his victims with an axe before slitting his own wrists. Now he's imprisoned in the house for eternity".

"That's a big change from guy who hung his kids to save them from starving to death" Alec scrunches up his face in confusion.

"Yeah…it's not even a little bit the same, so it's not like the story got a bit jumbled up in translation as the years have gone by" Ben pushes the laptop closer to Sam, "it's a whole new story for Mordechai".

Sam read's through the new story and shakes his head, "Where the hell is this going?"

Dean sits up straight, staring at the symbol he's drawn, "I don't know but I think I might have just figured out where it all started".

"They say the best way to figure things out is to begin where it all started" Alec points out.

* * *

 

Sam, Dean and the twins enter the music store and find Craig sitting at the counter, looking a little depressed.

"Hey Craig? Remember us?" Dean says, as they walk up to the counter.

"Guys, look I'm really not in the mood to answer any of your questions ok?"

"Oh, don't worry. We're just here to buy an album, that's all" Dean flicks through the albums, before finding the one he's looking for and picks it up. He turns to Sam and the boys, "you know I couldn't figure out what that symbol was and then I realized that it doesn't mean anything".

Alec's eyes widen in realisation looking at the album, "It's not supernatural, it's the logo for the Blue Oyster Cult".

Dean nods and turns to Craig, "tell me Craig, you, uh, you into BOC? Or just scaring the hell outta people? Now why don't you tell us about that house… without lying through you're a…butt this time".

Craig sighs, "all right, um. My cousin Dana was on break from TCU. Ah, I guess we were just bored, looking for something to do. So, I showed her this abandoned dump I found. We thought it would be funny if we made it look like it was haunted. So, we painted symbols on the walls, some from some albums, some from some of Dana's theology textbooks. Then we found out this guy Murdock used to live there so we…we made up some story to go along with that. So, they told people, who told other people. And then these two guys put it on their stupid website. Everything just took on a life of its own. I mean I, I thought it was funny at first but…now that girl's dead! It was just a joke, you know. I mean, none of it was real, we made the whole thing up. I swear!"

"All right" Sam says softly.

The group, satisfied that Craig told them everything he knew, leave the store. However, they are just as confused about what the hell is going on as they were before talking to Craig.

Ben turns to Sam and Dean, "if none of it was ever really real, how is Mordechai actually in the house now?"

* * *

 

Ben sits on the chair, Sam's phone to his ear, as he talks to Jondy with Alec sitting next to him. Dean had gone out and Sam was in the shower.

Ben likes to call and talk to his sister at least once a week since leaving her at Bobby's, almost to make sure that she really is there. That they found her and she's safe with Bobby. It gives him hope that if they can find one of his siblings, eventually they'll find more.

Plus, he misses her. They had spent a year apart after the escape and only had about a month together before they had to leave Bobby's. There is so much time to catch up on.

While Ben is the one who mostly talks to Jondy, Alec will sit by Ben and listen to the conversation and join in here and there. This time, however, Alec had happily taken over the first part of the phone call by telling Jondy all about the prank war and the pranks he's pulled on Ben, Sam and Dean.

Ben just silently glares at his brother as he talks about the pranks, knowing that karma would be getting his brother soon enough, because he has the ultimate prank all planned out.

He said he would destroy Alec…and he will.

After Alec's finished telling Jondy that he's the prank master, que eye roll, Ben updates her on the hunt that they are on and Jondy talks about what she and Bobby have been up too.

A few minutes later Dean returns, "hey", he says to the boys as he walks over to them, "that Jondy on the phone?"

"Yeah" Ben nods, then listens to Jondy talk, "Jondy say's hi".

Dean leans down and grabs the phone, "hey princess. How you doing?...Good, and how's Deanie?...You and Bobby get that engine working yet?...Great…Well, i'll give you back to Ben, talk to you later sweetheart…Bye".

Handing the phone back to Ben, Dean casually walks over to Sam's bed, pulling something from out of his jacket.

Ben's attention is back on talking to Jondy, so he doesn't notice much when Alec slides of the chair and makes his way over to Dean.

"What's that?" Alec asks.

Dean smirks and show's Alec the packet of itching powder. Alec's eyes light up and he starts bouncing on his toes with excitement.

"In his underwear?" Alec whispers gleefully.

Dean nods before calling out to Sam, "hey, I'm back".

"Hey, where were you?" Sam's slightly muffed voice comes from the bathroom.

"Oh, I went out" Dean picks up Sam's underwear, making a disgusted face at Alec.

Alec giggles quietly until Dean waves the underwear in his face. Holding back a horrified shout, Alec jumps back and out of the way. Dean chuckles at the boy and starts shaking the itching power on to Sam's underwear.

"So, I think I might have a theory about what's going on" Sam says, the shower getting turned off.

"Oh yeah?"

"What if Mordechai is a Tulpa?"

Alec nudges Dean's side, "hurry, he's coming out".

"Tulpa?" Dean shoves the empty packet back into his jacket.

Sam emerges from the bathroom, wearing only a towel around his waist, "yeah, a Tibetan thought form".

Dean hastily turns around, "ahh, yeah, I know what a Tulpa is. Hey why don't you get dressed, I wanna go grab something to eat and the boys are hungry", Dean looks down at Alec, "right?"

"Right" Alec nods.

"Ben, we're going to get some food in a few minutes once Sam's done beautifying himself, so you'll have to finish up with Jondy".

"Okay" Ben barely look over at them.

Sam picks up his clothes, including his soon to be itchy underwear, and heads back into the bathroom. Dean grins and winks at Alec.

* * *

 

Ben and Alec finish up the sandwiches and fries they had for lunch, while Sam and Dean grab a couple more coffees for their selves.

"Dude what's your problem?" Dean raises an eyebrow at Sam, who is grimacing and adjusting himself, as they walk back to the table.

"Nothing, I'm fine" Sam shifts and Alec hides his giggle that's threatening to come out by shoving the last piece of his sandwich in his mouth.

"Yeah?" Dean checks as he sits down.

"Yeah" Sam nods.

"So, ahhh, all right keep going. What about these Tulpas?"

"Ok, so there was this incident in Tibet in 1915. Group of monks visualised a golem in their head. They meditated on it so hard they bought the thing to life. Out of thin air".

"Kinda like Chucky?" Alec pipes up.

Sam rounds his bitch face at Dean, who quickly holds up his hands in defence, "I did  _not_  show them that film!"

"No dad didn't" Ben agrees, "it was ages ago, one night when you and grandpa were out on a hunt…sorry".

"It was before you made the 'rules' and 'consequences', so you can't take the telly away from us as punishment!" Alec points out before Dean can say anything.

Dean mentally swears, but knows that it's not fair to punish them for something that they didn't know they couldn't do back then.

"Fine, you're off the hook this time" Dean turns back to Sam, "anyway, back to the monks. They bought something to life cuz they meditated hard…So?"

"That was just 20 monks. Imagine what 10,000 web surfers could do. I mean Craig starts the story about Mordechai, then it spreads, goes online. Now there are countless people all believing in the bastard".

"Now wait a second. Are you trying to tell me that just because people believe in Mordechai, he's real?"

Sam shifts in his seat again, then shrugs, "I dunno, maybe".

"People believe in Santa Claus; how come I'm not getting hooked up every Christmas?"

"Cuz you're a bad person. And because of this..." Sam turns his laptop around to show Dean and the boys a photo of one of the symbols from the hell house, "that's a Tibetan spirit sigil. On the wall of the house. Craig said they were painting symbols from a theology textbook. I bet they painted this, not even knowing what it was. Now that sigil has been used for centuries, concentrating meditative thoughts like a magnifying glass".

"So, people are on the HellHounds website, staring at the symbol, thinking about Mordechai…" Ben trails off.

"I mean I don't know, but it might be enough to bring a Tulpa to life" Sam sighs.

"It would explain why he keeps changing" Dean nods.

Sam grimaces and adjusts himself again, "right, as the legend changes, people think different things, so Mordechai himself changes. Like a game of telephone. That would also explain why the rock salt didn't work".

"Because he's not a traditional spirit" Alec states.

Sam fidgets some more, "yeah".

"Ok. So why don't we just…uhh…get this spirit sigil thingy off the wall and off the website?" Dean suggests.

"Well it's not that simple. You see, once Tulpas are created they take on a life of their own" Sam explains.

"Like Frankenstein!" Alec grins.

"How many horror films have you two seen while me and dad went on hunts?" Dean stares wide eyed at the boys.

Alec pauses for a moment, thinking, then shrugs, "a few".

Dean sighs and shakes his head, "anyway, if Mordechai really is a thought form how the hell are we supposed to kill an idea?"

Adjusting himself again, Sam tries to ignore the itch, "well it's not gonna be easy with these guys helping us. Check out their home page".

Sam shows Dean the footage from the previous night that the paranormal morons have put up on their website.

"Since they've posted the video their number of hits have quadrupled in the last day alone" Sam says.

"I knew that these guys would make this harder for us someway" Ben frowns as he watches the video on Sam's laptop.

Dean squints for a moment before standing up, "I got an idea. Come on".

"Where we going?" Alec asks.

"We gotta find a copy store".

Sam and the twins stand up, and Sam adjusts himself once again as he puts his laptop back in his bag.

"Are you okay uncle Sam?" Ben tilts his head at Sam.

"I think I'm allergic to our soap or something" Sam shifts around, an uncomfortable look on his face.

Alec starts sniggering.

"Alec" Ben glares at his brother, "what did you do to uncle Sam?"

"Unfortunately, I can't claim this as my prank" Alec grins, "I wish it was mine though".

Dean and Alec walk away laughing and Sam whips his head around to look at his brother.

"You did this Dean?"

Dean laughs louder.

"You're a friggin jerk!" Sam yells.

"Oh yeah" Dean says, and Sam doesn't need to see his brothers face to see the smug grin on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the second chapter for Hell House and I hope you guys enjoyed it. I tried to make sure that the boys are involved in the episode instead of just background type characters that only have a few lines, and I hope I have.
> 
> We've had some more pranks from our darling little Alec...I honestly don't even know where he's hiding the stuff for his pranks. We also had Benny planning his payback prank on Alec...I wonder what it'll be.
> 
> As usual please kudos, bookmark and review if you can, as they put a smile on my face.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	34. Hell House (part 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the final chapter for Hell House! I quite enjoyed doing this chapter and I hope you guys have like it as well. We get to see the prank that Ben has lined up for Alec...and I feel like it's safe to say that Ben has won this prank war. This time around at least.
> 
> Right, on with the chapter.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 34.  
Episode 17 (Hell House).

Dean pulls the Impala to a stop and turns the engine off. The group clamber out of the Impala and start walking to dumb and dumbers trailer.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ben voices.

"I'm not sure that you can ever really trust idiots, but I think that this is the only idea we have on how to get rid of this Tulpa" Dean sighs, "we just have to play them right".

Dean pounds his fist on Harry and Ed's trailer door and all four of them hear a slightly girl-ish squeal come from the inside.

"These guys both annoy and amuse me" Alec says.

Dean rolls his eyes, "come on out here guys, we hear you in there".

"It's them!" they hear one of the idiot's whisper-yell, before the door is opened and they both stick their heads out.

"Ah, would you look at that! Action figures in their original packaging… what a shock".

"Guys, we need to talk" Sam gets to business.

"Yeah, um, sorry guys. We're ahhh, a little bit busy right now" Ed says.

"Doing what? Playing with your Barbies?" Alec raises an eyebrow.

Dean gently slaps his hand over the boy's mouth, "Ok well we'll make it quick. We need you to shut down your website".

Ed laughs, "man, you know, these guys got us busted last night, spent the night in a holding cell".

"I had to pee in that cell urinal. In front of people. And I get stage fright" Harry adds.

"Technically, because you guys suck and don't know how to run away, you got yourselves busted by the cops" Alec pulls Dean's hand away from his mouth.

"Did not".

"Did too".

"Did not".

"Did too".

"Did not".

"Did too".

"Di-".

"Harry stop arguing with the child" Ed glares at Harry before turning back to Sam and Dean, "why should we trust you guys?"

"Look guys. We all know what we saw last night, what's in the house. But now thanks to your website there are thousands of people hearing about Mordechai" Sam explains.

"That's right", Dean nods, "which means people are gonna keep showing up at the Hell House, running into him in person, and somebody could get hurt".

"Yeah, yeah…" Ed rolls his eyes.

"Ed maybe he's got a point, maybe…" Harry begins.

"Nope" Ed shakes his head.

"No" Harry drops his point and agrees with Ed.

Ben honestly wasn't sure which one of the two was the biggest idiot.

"We have an obligation to our fans, to the truth" Ed states.

"Well I have an obligation to kick both your little as…butts right now-" Dean steps towards them threateningly.

"Dean…Dean, hey, hey",

Sam grabs Dean's arm to stop him getting any closer to Ed and Harry, "just, forget it, all right? These guys…" Sam sighs, "could probably bitch slap them both and it wouldn't knock any sense into them".

"You could probably even tell them that thing about Mordechai…" Ben pipes up, "but they're still not gonna help us".

"Benny's right, let's just go".

"Whoa... whoa..." Ed and Harry eyes widen just a tad.

"Yeah, you're right" Dean nods.

Sam, Dean and the twins start to walk away, and as they hoped, Ed and Harry trail behind them.

"What did you say about...?" Ed starts.

"Hang on a second here" Harry almost pleads.

"Wait...wait" Ed gets the Winchesters to stop walking.

"What thing about Mordechai you guys?"

Dean shakes his head, "don't tell 'em Sam".

"But if they agree to shut the website down Dean" Sam tries to reason.

"They're not going to do it, you said so yourself".

"No wait. Wait. Don't listen to him ok? We'll do it. We'll do it" Ed begs.

"It's a secret uncle Sam" Alec gives him a pointed look, "the whole point of a secret is to not say anything…especially to idiots".

Ed and Harry glare down at Alec who gives them a 'does-it-look-like-I-care' face in return.

Sam turns to Ed and Harry, "look, it is a really big deal all right. And it wasn't easy to dig up. So only if we have your word that you'll shut everything down".

"Totally" Ed agrees.

"All right" Sam nods.

Dean sighs and hands over some paperwork to Ed and Harry.

"It's a death certificate. From the '30s. We got it at the library. Now according to the coroner, the actual cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound".

"Yeah, he didn't hang or cut himself" Ben says.

"He shot himself?" Ed looks over the death certificate.

"Yep. With a .45 pistol. To this day they say he's terrified of them" Sam clarifies.

"Matter of fact they say if you shoot him with a .45, loaded with these special wrought-iron rounds… it'll kill the son of bitch" Dean states.

Ed and Harry grin and start to snigger gleefully. Harry spins around and bolts back to their trailer while Ed follows more slowly.

"Harry. Slow your roll buddy. They're gonna know we're excited" Ed whispers not so quietly.

Once their trailer door slams shut, Sam and Dean let out a chuckle as they shake their heads and start walking back to the Impala.

"I think it's safe to say that they bought it" Alec grins.

Ben shakes his head, "they are complete idiots".

"Yep, but hopefully idiots who have just help us end this hunt" Dean slides into the Impala, followed by the others.

"Now we just have to wait for them to post it" Sam says, as the Impala drives off.

* * *

 

Ben sits next to Sam in the booth, sipping away at his milk while Sam checks the HellHounds website on his laptop. Alec sits next to Dean, his arms crossed on the table and a grin on his face as he watches Dean, who reaches up to the 3D fisherman on the wall and pulls the cord…again. The fisherman's mouth moves up and down and an extremely annoying laugh plays, making Alec giggle and the grumpy look on Sam's face.

Sam pulls the cord, stopping the annoying laugh, "if you pull that string one more time, I'm gonna kill you".

"Do it" Alec encourages, a huge smile on his face.

"You stay out of it" Sam points his finger at Alec before returning to face Dean.

Dean stares at Sam with a straight face as he pulls the cord once more, causing Alec to cackle and Ben hides his grin. Sam immediately stops it and glares at Dean.

Dean sniggers, "come on man, you need more laughter in your life. You know you're way too tense".

"Yeah uncle Sam" Alec chimes in, "laugh a little. Loosen up".

Sam gives both Dean and Alec a dirty look.

Dean sighs and changes the subject, "they post it yet?"

Sam swivels his laptop around to face Dean.

"We've learned from reputable sources that Mordechai Murdock has a fatal fear of firearms" Dean reads from the website. He leans back in the booth, "all right. How long do we wait?"

"Long enough for the new story to spread, and the legend to change. I figure by nightfall iron rounds will work on the sucker".

Sam holds his beer out to Dean, who lifts his own and taps it against Sam's. He completely misses the mischievous twinkle in Ben and Alec's eyes.

"Sweet" Dean takes a long drink from his beer, then puts his bottle down and lifts his arm…only to find the beer is still in his hand.

Dean frowns in confusion as Sam starts grinning from behind his beer. Dean tries to put his beer down again, and tugs at it slightly with his other hand, but it doesn't budge. Sam, Ben and Alec all start cracking up and Dean stares up at Sam with wide eyes.

"You didn't".

Sam laughs and holds up the super glue, "oh, I did!"

Dean shakes his hand in an attempt to get the bottle off while Sam, still laughing, pulls the string and the fisherman starts his annoying laughter again. Ben tries to take a few deep breaths to calm his laughter down, while Alec holds his stomach as he continues to shake with laughter.

"I'm guessing you two knew about this" Dean looks between the boys.

"I may have known about it" Alec giggles.

"I may also have been aware that uncle Sam was planning something…" Ben's face is full of enjoyment.

"Betrayal…", Dean shakes his head, "by my own sons".

"All's fair in love and war" Ben points out.

* * *

 

Sam, Dean and the twins crouch down in the same bushes that they were crouched in the night previous. Just like the night before, there are cops guarding the hell house, though this time they already figured the cops would still be there, so they brought a little…decoy of sorts, since this time Tweedle-dick and Tweedle-dipshit shouldn't be here.

Sam passes the annoying fisherman to Ben, who blurs away with it.

Dean wasn't all that happy with having the boys here on this hunt since this wasn't a traditional spirit, but he did agree that he'd start letting them help out more. Crap, he regrets that now…at least this should be over quickly.

They wait for the annoying laugh to be heard, and once the fisherman goes off the cops start heading in the direction of the noise.

"Let's go" Sam whispers.

Sam, Dean and Alec quickly and quietly make their way inside the house and wait by the door for Ben to blur to them.

A moment later, the annoying laugh still just about being heard in the distance if they strained their ears, Ben blurs to a stop in front of them.

"I put it in a tree. They'll probably search the area around for a little while to try and find the person who put it there because I set it off once last time just as they got to it before I blurred away" Ben explains.

"Good job Benny" Dean ruffles the boy's hair, before getting serious.

Dean and Sam draw their guns, while Ben and Alec hold their iron pipes in tight grips. All of them on alert and sticking close together.

"I barely have any skin left on my palm" Dean snarks.

"I'm not touching that line with a ten-foot pole" Sam states.

"I don't get it" Alec frowns, "what kind of line was that?"

Dean turns and glares at Sam, shining his flashlight in his face until Sam winces.

"Oops" Sam mutters.

Rolling his eyes, Dean says to Alec, "it's nothing you need to know".

Alec pouts as they move into another room but says nothing. As they enter the next room Ben and Alec stop moving and tilt their heads…oh no.

Tweedle-dick and Tweedle-dipshit.

They could sense that those idiots were here. They turn around and see the morons and their camera with their night vision.

Groaning, Ben tugs on Dean's arm, "dad…you're not going to like this".

"Can you sense Mordechai?" Dean asks.

"Worse" Alec shakes his head, "It's the paranormal morons".

"Hey! You little brat!" Ed squawks from the corner.

Sam and Dean spin around in surprise, pointing their guns at Ed and Harry.

"WHOA! WHOA!" Ed and Harry throw their arms up in panic.

"What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?" Sam stares at them.

"We're just trying to get a book and movie deal, ok?"

"You're not going to get that when you're dead" Ben says. They should have expected these guys showing up to make things harder, because since when does life make it easy for them.

Before anymore can be said, the sound of knives being sharpened cuts through the room from the basement. The Winchester's are all immediately back on alert.

"Oh crap" Ed's eyes widen in fear as he and Harry hide behind Sam and Dean, "ah guys, you wanna…you wanna open that door for us?"

"Why don't you?" Dean bites.

Suddenly Mordechai bursts through the door holding an axe and screaming. Sam and Dean empty their gun chambers into Mordechai. He doesn't mist for a moment and the Winchesters worry it hasn't work, but then he wavers and disappears into mist.

Wanting to make sure they got him, Sam and Dean check that the other rooms are clear. Ben and Alec start to go with them, but Dean tells them to stay and keep an eye on the idiots.

"Oh God. He's gone. He's gone" Ed breaths, then looks at Ben and Alec and frowns. He calls out to Sam and Dean, "hey, don't leave your kids here! We're not babysitters".

"Trust me, the only babies being sat, are you two" Ben looks at the men with a bored face.

Ed glares at Ben before turning away and quietly mimicking the boy.

"You do know we can hear you…right?" Alec raises an eyebrow.

Ed pauses at the knowledge of being heard, before mimicking Alec as well. Ben and Alec share exasperated looks with each other.

"Did you get him?" Harry turns and asks Ed.

"Yeah, they got him" Ed nods.

"No, on camera, did you get him on camera".

"Ah, ah, I…"

"Let me see it, let me see it".

While the previous video that these two muppets had put on their site had them in it, it was for barely a second and you couldn't even tell it was them as it was pretty shaky. This footage though, they will have to delete it when they get the opportunity, as there is a good chance that there is a lot more of them in it…and that's something they can't risk. Not with Manticore trying to find them.

Harry takes the camera from Ed and flips it open just as Mordechai appears again.

"Dad!" Ben and Alec yell.

Mordechai slams his axe through the camera, forcing Harry to duck to the ground.

…well at least that solves the camera problem.

Alec moves forward and whacks Mordechai with the pipe, causing the 'ghost' to stumble back. Raising his axe again, Mordechai swings it down, but Alec jumps out of the way and Mordechai disappears once again.

Dean runs in and his eyes quickly wander over Ben and Alec to make sure that they are alright before looking at Ed and Harry, "hey! Didn't you guys post that B.S. story we gave you?"

"Of course we did" Ed says as Sam appears in the doorway.

"But then our server crashed" Harry informs them.

"Yeah".

"So, it didn't take?" Dean looks between the pair.

"Uh…mmm…" Ed and Harry mumble.

"So, these", Dean holds up his gun, "these guns don't work".

"Yeah" Ed nods.

"Great. Sam, any ideas?"

"We are getting outta here" Ed exclaims.

"Yeah. Come on, Ed" Harry says, grabbing Ed as they ran past Dean.

"I thought you said you heard a vase fall over and it changed you!" Alec shouts after them, "cowards!"

Only seconds after the idiots ran out of the room, they hear screaming.

"You go to them, I have an idea" Dean says to Sam, who quickly goes after Ed and Harry. Dean turns to the twins.

"If you're about to tell us to leave-" Alec starts.

"You can think again" Ben finishes.

"I'm not", Dean hands them the Impala keys, "I need you to blur to the Impala and grab the kerosene tanks".

The twins blur away with no questions asked, and a minute later they skid to a stop in front of Dean.

"The morons are out of the house, past them running out the door as we came back" Ben puts the kerosene down.

"Dean!" they hear Sam yell from the other room.

"Empty the kerosene, get it everywhere. We're going to light this place up" Dean says as he heads for Sam.

"Dad!" Alec hands Dean a can of spray, "I grabbed it just encase you need to improvise some time since the guns are useless".

Dean leaves Ben and Alec to splash the kerosene around and finds Sam in the other room being lifted off his feet by the handle of the axe.

"Dean" Sam gasps.

"HEY!" Dean shouts getting Mordechai's attention long enough for Sam to drop to the floor. He holds up the spray that Alec gave him and pulls out his lighter. He sets light to the gas from the spray and a stream of fire makes Mordechai back off, "go, go, go!"

Sam get's up and runs past Dean into the other room, stopping to catch his breath as he holds his throat.

"Uncle Sam!" Ben drops his empty tank and flashes to Sam side.

Dean runs into the room and nods for the boys to move towards the door, "Mordechai can't leave the house and we can't kill him…so, we improvise".

Dean re-lights his lighter and throws it towards the corner of the room. The group run out of the house as the room bursts into flames.

"That's your solution? Burn the whole damn place to the ground?" Sam turns to Dean.

"Well nobody will go in anymore" Dean says, "I mean look, Mordechai can't haunt a house if there's no house to haunt. It's fast and dirty but it works".

Ben bites his lip in worry, "but…but what if the legend changes again and Mordechai is allowed to leave the house?"

"Well…well then we'll just have to come back".

They watch as the house burns and Sam sighs, "kinda makes you wonder. Of all the thing we hunted, how many existed just cuz people believed in them".

"It may make you wonder, but not me" Dean shakes his head, "all I'm wondering about is what take out we're going to grab on our way back to the motel because dealing with idiots and burning down houses really works up an appetite".

"Agreed" Alec and Ben eagerly nod.

* * *

 

Dean gives Alec a death glare as the child uses his sleeve to wipe his mouth yet again, and Alec just grins cheekily in return.

"The next time you do that, I'm going to hold you down and wipe your face with a baby wipe" Dean warns him.

"If you can catch me, you mean" Alec pokes his tongue out.

"Just use a damn napkin!" Dean growls, which only make Alec giggle.

Sam just shakes his head, completely done with it.

"Are we leaving in the morning?" Ben asks.

"Yeah, we'll hand in the keys first then grab breakfast and head out" Dean informs them.

"Guess I'll go shower now then if we'll be gone early tomorrow" Alec slide out of his chair.

Ben glares at his brother, "I'm watching you".

"Relax, I'm not going to do the same prank twice" Alec smirks, "that would be lame".

He grabs his pyjamas and heads for the bathroom, giving Ben a wink as he closes the door.

"Brothers" Ben mutters.

"Tell me about it" Sam nudges the boy with grin.

"Oi" Dean looks insulted, "I'm a delight! You're lucky to have me as a brother, bitch".

"Jerk".

"Where will be going when we leave?" Ben changes the subject.

"There could be a possible hunt Utah" Sam shrugs, "not sure yet, but worth a look around to see".

Ben nods as he finishes up his pizza and uses a napkin to wipe his mouth and hands.

"At least I have one child who isn't trying to infuriate me and uses the napkin like a normal person" Dean sighs in relief.

"You know, every time you tell Alec to use a napkin and get annoyed when he doesn't, you're giving him want he wants" Sam says, "don't give him a reaction".

"Thanks for the advice, Mary Poppins".

Ben tilts his head to the side, "I don't understand that reference. Who's Mary Poppins".

"So, you've let them watch stuff like Chucky, stuff they  _should not_  see, but they haven't seen Mary Poppins. Something that 9 year olds can watch" Sam bitch faces Dean.

"Hey! I told you I didn't let them watch Chucky, or any other horror movie for that matter" Dean defends, "there are a lot of kids films and classics that they need to catch up on thanks to Manticore, so no, I haven't got around to showing them Mary Poppins yet".

"Maybe we could watch that one next then?" Ben suggests.

"I'm sure uncle Sam will love watching that with you" Dean smirks.

Ben grins at Sam, "great".

Suddenly the conversation is stopped by a yell coming from the bathroom. Dean's hand reaches for his gun, but he doesn't pull it out yet. Sam frowns, and also get's ready to grab his gun if needed while Ben sit's back in his chair with a 'cat-that-ate-the-canary' look on his face.

Sam notices Ben's face and chuckles, "I'm guessing you've got your revenge on Alec?"

"Maybe" Ben smirks.

Dean raises an eyebrow, "what did you do?"

"You'll see".

The bathroom door burst open and Alec stands in the doorway, wrapped in a towel and a piercing glare focused on his brother.

Ben bursts into laughter as Sam and Dean's eyes go wide.

"Holy…" Dean can't think of any words and instead can't help but start chuckling.

"So that's what you bought at the shop" Sam also breaks and starts laughing, "well done Ben".

"My hair is red" Alec states.

"Well done. You know your colours" Ben snorts.

"My. Hair. Is. Red".

"Yeah well, hair dye is meant to do that. You know, change your hair colour".

"Dad, stop laughing!" Alec pouts.

"I can't" Dean wipes his eyes while still chuckling, "oh Benny, that's good. When did you get the dye?... Please don't tell me you have a supply of prank stuff too".

"No" Ben shakes his head, "A couple of days ago when we were looking for information on Mordechai, when we still thought he was just a ghost, me and Sam took a detour into a shop. I got the dye and I've just been waiting for the right time to use it".

"You were in on this uncle Sam" Alec glares at Sam.

"Nope, I just funded the prank. I didn't know what he was buying" Sam grins.

"Why'd you go with red?" Dean asks, "you could have gone with pink or purple".

"Red's Alec favourite colour…" Ben says before smirking again, "plus, it's only semi-permanent which means that after a few washes it'll fade from red to pink".

"I hate you" Alec glares harder.

"And because we have light hair…the red turned pink dye will stain your hair. That means it'll take longer than normal for all the colour to wash out".

"You really thought this out" Dean looks at Ben, quite impressed with his son.

"I had to destroy him" Ben says simply.

"I can't believe you did this" Alec stares at his brother.

"Face it Al…it's basically karma" Sam points out, "you got all of us, it was time you got yours".

Alec closes his eyes and sighs, "I do have to admit…this was a damn good prank that I  _really_  wish I had thought of… Is it strange that I'm a little proud of you for doing this?"

"A bit" Ben nods.

"It's just you usually don't get involved or your pranks are low key and not that great… But this" Alec indicates to his hair, "this is kinda impressive. You really got me good, so I'm kinda proud that you stopped being a stick in the mud for once" Alec grins at his brother, "It's like you're becoming like me!"

"No" Sam and Dean's eyes go wide with fright.

"What?"

"We don't need another Alec" Dean says, "We need one Alec and one Ben, and that's it".

"I think having another me would be awesome".

"No…I definitely agree" Ben snorts, "one Alec is more then enough".

"You guys just don't know how to have fun" Alec pouts.

"Okay" Sam interrupts, "how about you go get dried and dressed before you catch a cold, then Ben, you can have a shower".

Alec groans about how transgenics can't get colds as he closes the bathroom door.

Dean thinks for a moment, "if that's how red Al's hair is now when its wet…how is it going to look when it's dried?"

Sam and Dean look at Ben who shrugs.

"The box called it 'Fire Truck Red', so…"

"Oh God" Sam chuckles.

* * *

 

Dean took some mercy on the red-haired boy and bought him a hat to wear to cover it up a little bit for when they are out in public, so that they don't draw to much attention. At least Alec was being a pretty good sport about it all after the initial shock of having bright red hair, and Ben…well he was just so pleased with himself that he bested Alec in the pranks.

Alec fiddles and adjusts his new hat as the group are sat at a picnic table in the trailer park, waiting for Ed and Harry to appear.

Ben and Alec nudge Sam and Dean when they hear the idiot's approach, and frown in confusion as they have no idea just what the morons are talking about.

"I was thinking that Mordechai has a really super high attack bonus" Harry suggests as he and Ed walk up to the group carrying bags of groceries.

"Man, I got the munchies right now" Ed sighs then turns to Sam, Dean and the twins, "gentlemen and brats".

"Oi" Dean glares at Ed.

"I will bite you" Alec states.

"And I will let him".

Sam quickly intervenes, "hey guys".

"Should we tell 'em" Harry grins, looking at Ed.

"Hey, might as well, you know, they're going to read about it in the trades" Ed replies smugly.

"So, this morning we got a phone call from a very important Hollywood producer".

"Oh yeah, wrong number?" Dean snarks.

"No, smart-ass", Ed glares, "he read all about the Hell House on our website and wants to option the motion picture rights. Maybe even have us write it".

They place their grocery bags into their totally overloaded car and turn back to the Winchesters.

"And create the RPG" Harry adds.

"The what?" Ben scrunches up his face in confusion.

"Role playing game" Ed explains.

"Right" Dean rolls his eyes.

"A little lingo for you. Anyhoo, ahhh, excuse us, we're off to la-la land".

"I'm pretty sure that you're already in la-la land" Alec mutters.

"Well congratulations guys. That sounds really great" Sam says.

"Yeah. That's awesome, best of luck to you" Dean grins.

"Oh yeah, luck. That has nothing to do with it. It's about talent. Sheer unabashed talent" Ed smugly smirks at them, before giving them a sort of but not really wave, "later".

They get in the car and start pulling off.

"See ya round…" Harry waves as they drive away and out of their lives for good.

"Wow" Dean shakes his head.

"I have a confession to make" Sam rubs the back of his head.

"What's that?"

"I, uh…I was the one that called them and told them I was a producer".

Dean laughs, "yeah well I'm the one who put the dead fish in their back seat".

"Uh…I may have gotten a hold of their laptop and changed the language on there" Ben bites the inside of his mouth, "instead of English, everything is in Spanish".

Alec holds up the super glue that Sam had used the day before "I super glued the zips on their bags shut".

The four of them start laughing, feeling relaxed and cheerful, as they make their way back to the Impala.

"Truce?" Sam offers.

"No" Alec pouts, not wanting the pranks to be over with yet.

"Please" Ben didn't want to see what Alec would done to get him back. He'd probably wake up bald or with no eyebrows.

"Yeah truce" Dean agrees to Alec's dismay and Ben's relief, "…at least for the next 100 miles".

They shuffle into the Impala and take off out of the park and on to the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the next episode is going to be episode 18, 'Something Wicked'. It'll be a two chapter episode and the twins will be able to get to play a bigger part in it, as one of them will be taking the place of the child in the bed. Not that Dean'll be happy about that of course, but oh well, he's got to let his boys help out more.
> 
> If you could please kudos and bookmark if you're enjoying my story, as well as leaving a review, I'd really appreciate it.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	35. Episode 18, Something Wicked (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS...or just Happy Holidays for any people who don't celebrate Christmas.
> 
> Anyway, this is my Christmas present…or Holiday present for you guys: A new chapter!
> 
> This is the next episode of Supernatural, episode 18, Something Wicked. I haven't added the flashbacks that Dean has in the episode, but I have done a flashback of the twins.
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 35.  
Episode 18 (Something Wicked).

Ben and Alec huff in boredom from the back of the Impala as it cruises down the country road. Their dad and uncle had been going back and forth about whether the text grandpa had sent them lead to a hunt or not.

"Yeah. You probably missed something, that's what" Dean says.

"Dude, I ran LexisNexis, local police reports, newspapers, I couldn't find a single red flag. Are you sure you got the coordinates right?" Sam tries to stop himself from getting annoyed.

"Yeah, I double checked and then Ben re-checked for me. It's Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Dad wouldn't have sent us coordinates if it wasn't important Sammy".

"Well I'm telling you I looked and all I could find was a big steamy pile of nothing. If Dad's sending us hunting for something, I don't know what".

"Well maybe he's going to meet us there".

Alec snorts, like that was going to happen.

"Yeah. Cause he's been so easy to find up to this point" Sam huffs.

"You're a real smart ass you know that?" Dean glares at his brother, "don't worry I'm sure there's something in Fitchburg worth killing".

"Yeah? What makes you so sure".

"Cause I'm the oldest, which means I'm always right".

"No, it doesn't" Sam scoffs.

"It totally does".

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Alec cries interrupting the pair, "you two are worse than me and Ben".

"And that's saying something" Ben shakes his head.

"You two need to start behaving-".

"Or you'll lose your television privileges".

Dean glances at Sam, "are we being parented by two 9 year olds?"

"I think so" Sam raises an eye brow at the boys.

"Well, if you behaved-" Alec starts.

"Then you wouldn't need parenting" Ben finishes.

"Okay, hold up" Dean looks through the mirror at the twins in bewilderment, "since when did you two start agreeing long enough to start finishing each other sentences?"

Ben and Alec look at each other and shrug.

"Since when did you two become-" Ben starts.

"Like me and Ben?" and Alec finishes.

"Okay that's starting to get a little freaky" Dean says.

"Well we are twins. We're-" Alec grins.

"Suppose to know what each other is thinking-" Ben's mouth twitches into a smirk.

"So that we can-".

"Finish each other's sentences".

Ben and Alec high five each other, wearing matching smiles and their eyes twinkling mischievously.

"How long did it take you two to manage this?" Sam asks.

"You-".

"Will-".

"Never-".

"Know-".

"Oh, this is going to be a long day" Dean groans.

* * *

 

Once they got into the town, the first order of business was to try and find out what was going on in the town that would make John send them here.

It was just lucky that there was a park around the area that Sam and Dean were asking questions, so Ben and Alec could let off some steam in the park instead of having to stay in the Impala. Alec of course, has to wear his hat to try and cover his red hair, that is still pretty vibrant.

Of course, the twins had to promise their dad that they would stay at the park until he and uncle Sam came back and that they wouldn't go anywhere else, before he let them go and play.

They got the whole park to themselves for a while, which they both enjoyed and found a bit lonely. About twenty minutes into their play they did get joined by another child…however she was a girl and Alec didn't really want to get cooties, so they left her alone to do her own thing.

A little while after that they notice uncle Sam arrive back at the Impala and lean against it while he waits for their dad. They wave back at him when he waves at them, before getting back to important business…playing.

Dean walks out of the diner across the road from the park, holding two coffees, and walks over to Sam and the Impala.

He hands one off the coffees to Sam, and leans against the Impala next to him, "well…the waitress thinks the local freemasons are up to something sneaky but other than that no one's heard about anything freaky going on".

"Dean you got the time?" Sam asks, his eyes still on the park.

Dean looks at his watch, "ten after Four. Why?"

Sam nods towards to park, "what's wrong with this picture".

"School's out isn't it?" Dean frowns, noticing that there is only one other child in the park apart from his boys.

"Yeah. So where is everybody? This place should be crawling with kids right now".

Dean notices a woman sat on the park bench reading a magazine and he approaches to talk to her.

Ever since he got the boys it's been a lot easier…and a lot less creepy, for him to talk to woman at parks. He's found that other parents are now a lot more open and willing to talk when you have kids yourself because you don't seem like some dangerous creep.

"Hi" Dean greets the woman, who gives a small smile in return, "she yours?"

"Yeah, Macy" she smiles.

"Those are my boy's", Dean nods towards the twins, "Ben and Alec. We're new in town".

"Well, welcome to Fitchburg".

"Thanks…you know, it sure is quiet out here for this time of day".

"Yeah, it's a shame" the woman sighs.

"Whys that?"

"Some of the children have been getting sick, it's a terrible thing".

"How many?"

"Just five or six… but serious, hospital serious. A lot of parents are getting pretty anxious. They think it's catching".

Dean hums as a response as he turns to watch his boys. If this hunt involves children, it's going to be hard. Children are innocent, happy little things and it fills Dean with anger to think that something might be targeting them.

…and if something  _is_  targeting the children in this town, then that means Ben and Alec could be in danger. He wonders if there's a way he could ship Ben and Alec down to Bobby's while he and Sam do this hunt, without the boys throwing a fit.

…yeah…that's not going to happen. They would probably steal and hotwire a car or something, and make their way back here knowing the boys.

He just hates the thought of the boys being hurt… But then again if something is happening to the children it only seems to be making them sick, and as Ben and Alec have told him countless times, they don't get sick. So, maybe they will be alright.

The only times the boys aren't well is when they have or almost have one of their seizures. Crap, he hates those things. They are terrifying, and he still remembers vividly the first time one happened after he and dad met the boys. He can't believe the boys didn't think to warn them about the damn things… … …

_They were on a hunt in Montana, well actually they had just finished a hunt in Montana and will be leaving to find a new hunt in the morning._

_Alec had been uncharacteristically quiet since the start of the evening, but neither Dean or John put much thought behind it as they were focusing on the hunt. Now the hunt was done with Dean was back at the motel with the twins while John was grabbing some food and milk._

_Ben had asked just as John was leaving if he could pick up some milk while he was out, both men noticed the boy shooting worried looks over at the quiet Alec. His dad gave him a look that told him to figure out what was going on while he was out._

_Dean watches as Ben keeps flickering his gaze towards Alec. He wonders whether Alec was cold because the boy kept have little tremors every now and then…or maybe he wasn't feeling well since he has been oddly quiet, and he definitely looks a little…off. Either way, something wasn't quite right with the child._

_The boys have only been with them for around a month, so everyone was still adjusting to each other and trying to get comfortable. However, there are things that they figured out about each other within the first week of being together. One of those things being that Alec always has something to say._

" _Cold, Al?" Dean asks, breaking the ice so that he can figure out what's up._

_Alec shakes his head and Ben sit's next to his brother, grabbing his hand in comfort._

" _He just needs some milk. It's fine" Ben insists._

" _There is water if he's th-"._

" _It has to be milk"._

" _Why?" Dean frowns, "what's going on?"_

" _It's nothing you need to worry about" Ben shrugs, "we just need some milk"._

_Dean rolls his eyes. Another thing that he and his dad had figured out was that Ben didn't really like asking for much or making a fuss about stuff to them because he didn't want to bother them._

_Usually when Ben got like this, Alec would cut across Ben's "it's fine, we're fine" speech and tell them what's going on. However, this time Alec was keeping his mouth shut._

_Sighing, Dean takes a good look at Alec and was worried to see that the boy looks like he is in pain and he's twitching even more._

" _Okay, seriously I need to know what's going on with Alec" Dean says._

" _I…uh…think he's going to-to find out" Alec groans, "cuz…I think I'm about to go…"_

" _Go? Go where?" Dean frowns._

_Before either boy could explain, Alec groans loudly and slides of the bed to the floor and starts twitching and shaking uncontrollably._

_Dean's ashamed to say that he may have let out a yell in panic and completely freaked out as the child hit the floor. Meanwhile, Ben calmly sits on the floor next to Alec's head, that's thrashing around, and watches to make sure he doesn't bash his head._

_A few moments later, Dean realises that freaking out isn't going to help whatever is going on with Alec, so he forces himself to clam down as he kneels next to the boy._

" _What's happening?" he asks Ben, "this…this looks like a seizure. Is Alec having a seizure?"_

_Ben bits his lip, "I think that's what you call them. In Manticore we just called them the shakes"._

" _Do you get them too?"_

" _Yes, we all do"._

" _Why didn't you tell me you guys got seizures? This is something that you should have told us!"_

" _I'm sorry…we just didn't want to make ourselves more of a bother"._

_Dean sighs, "Ben, when it comes to your boy's health you need to tell us because we are now responsible for you two. It doesn't matter if you think you are being a bother, you tell us"._

" _Okay"._

" _Right, now…do you know what you're supposed to do when someone has a seizure?"_

" _No…I just make sure he doesn't hit his head"._

_Dean sighs, next time he gets to a computer he's going to have to do some research. He's pretty sure you're not suppose hold a person who's seizing but he's not positive about it. Dean takes off his jacket and puts it under Alec's head in an attempt to make the boy more comfortable._

_Maybe a minute later Alec stops seizing and Dean breathes a sigh of relief for a moment before worrying again as he see's that the boy is unconscious._

" _It's okay" Ben see's Dean start to panic again, "the shakes just make us tired. When John comes back with the milk, we can wake Alec up, so he can drink it and then he'll get better"._

" _What is it with you and milk? I get that you're cat's and it's good for your bones but-"._

" _It helps with the shakes" Ben interrupts, "we don't know why but drinking milk helps keep the shakes away most of the time. That's why we drink it all the time"._

_Dean pauses for a moment to digest the information, "…okay, once dad get's back and Alec's on his feet again, we are going to be sitting down and you will be explaining all of this to me, in full. Even if you don't think it's important, you're going to tell me. Got it?"_

" _Got it" Ben nods… … …_

Even after the boys explain all about the seizures it still scared the crap out of him the next time it happened…he was just a little more prepared and a little less surprised by it.

Dean mentally groans, he could already tell he wasn't going to like this hunt.

* * *

 

The Impala pulls to a stop in front of the recent sick child's house. The group carefully break and enter, using Ben and Alec's skills so that the owners won't know that someone's been in their house, and head towards the little girl's room.

They had just come from the hospital after talking to the doctor and some of the parents of the ill children. While there wasn't much to go on, Dean knows his dad wouldn't send them on a wild goose chase. Sam, on the other hand, is still a little reluctant to believe that this was supernatural, but if they've learnt anything from the Tulpa case it's that they have to double and triple check.

Sam and Dean break out the EMF readers as they check over the room.

"You got anything over there?" Sam asks.

"Nah, nothing" Dean sighs.

"Yeah, me neither".

"Are we sure that there is something here?" Alec wonders.

"Dad wouldn't have sent us here for no reason" Dean insists.

"It's just…why would something make kids sick? I don't see what the gain is".

"Maybe whatever it is needs to keep them alive for a little while for some reason" Ben suggests.

"Anything's possible Squirt" Dean nods.

"Hey Dean?" Sam calls from his place by the window, "you were right. It's not pneumonia".

Dean and the twins walk over and look at the windowsill. It has a handprint rotted on the wood.

Dean comes over and they stare at a handprint rotted into the wood. A rather creepy handprint.

"It's rotted. What the hell leaves a handprint like that?" Sam frowns.

Alec shrugs, "I'm guessing something rotten".

Ben gives Alec his best impression of Sam's bitch face.

"I know why Dad sent us here", Dean stares at the windowsill. A horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, "he's faced this thing before. He wants us to finish the job".

The twin's frown as they look at their father. He looks a little sick and his voice was kind of tight.

* * *

 

The ride from the house to the motel was filled with a subtle tense atmosphere radiating off of Dean. The man was trying not to show that he was freaked out about the fact that the monster that almost got Sam was back…and crap, the thing could go after his kittens.

He pulls the Impala up to the motel office and the group clamber out.

"So, what the hell is a shtriga?" Sam asks.

"It's…kinda like a witch, I think. I don't know much about 'em" Dean shrugs.

The twins share a look with each other. Their dad was not saying something, and he seems a little…off.

"Well I've never heard of it. And it's not in Dad's journal".

"Dad hunted one in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin, about 16, 17 years ago. You were there. You don't remember?"

"No".

"I guess he caught wind of the things in Fitchburg now and kicked us the coordinates".

"So wait, this…" Alec frowns.

"Shtriga" Dean says.

"Right, that thing" Alec nods, "you think it's the same one Grandpa hunted before?"

"Yeah, maybe".

"But if Dad went after it why is it still breathing air?" Sam questions.

"Cause, it got away".

"Got away?"

Dean huffs out frustratedly, "yeah Sammy it happens".

"Not very often".

"Well I don't know what to tell ya, maybe Dad didn't have his wheaties that morning".

"What else do you remember?" Sam pushes.

"Nothin'. I was a kid all right?" Dean says defensively.

Ben and Alec frown at their father as they enter the motel reception. He was agitated and defensive, it was starting to make them worry. This case was clearly getting to him.

Dean rings the bell and a young boy, slightly older then the twins, comes from the back room.

"A king or two queens?" the boys asks.

Dean glances back at Sam, "two queens".

The boy sniggers, "yeah I'll bet".

"What'd you say".

"Nice car!"

Ben and Alec chuckle under their breaths. It was quite amusing that people keep thinking that their dad and uncle are  _together_.

A woman comes up behind the boy, "hi".

"Hi" Dean says.

"Checking in?" she asks.

"Yeah".

The woman turns to the boy, "ahh, do me a favour, go get your brother some dinner".

"I'm helping a guest!" the woman gives the boy a look and he grimaces, "fine", he raises an eyebrow at Dean, while taking to his mother, "two  _queens_ ".

Ben and Alec giggle while Dean lets out a fake laugh, "funny kid".

"Oh, yeah. He thinks so. Will that be cash or credit?"

"You take MasterCard?" Dean asks and the woman nods, "perfect. Here you go".

"Do you need some roll out beds?" the woman asks, noticing Ben and Alec.

"Uhh, no. It's fine, we have it covered" Sam smiles.

"Okay, great" she finishes with Dean's card and holds it back for him, "sir?"

"Thanks" Dean nods.

* * *

 

"Well, you were right", Sam says, as he looks up from his laptop to face Dean, "it wasn't very easy to find but you were right. Shtriga is a kind of witch. They're Albanian, but-".

"Albanian? Aren't those the people with like, really white skin and red eyes?" Alec tilts his head and squints.

"No, you're thinking of Albinos" Ben tells him.

"Oh…please continue uncle Sam".

"Thanks" Sam grins at Alec and shakes his head, "right, uhh… Legends about Shtriga trace back to Ancient Rome. They feed off  _spiritus vitae_ ".

"Spiri-what?" Dean raises an eyebrow.

"Spiritus Vitae" Ben repeats.

"It's Latin, translates to 'breath of life'. Kinda like your life force or essence" Sam explains.

"Didn't the doctor say the kids' bodies were wearing out?" Dean points out.

"It's a thought…you know, she takes your vitality maybe your immunity goes to hell, pneumonia takes hold. Anyway, shtrigas can feed off anyone but they prefer…" Sam trails off.

"Children" Dean sighs.

"Yeah. Probably because they have stronger life force".

Dean's gaze wonders over to the twins, however before he can say anything the twins interrupt.

"I can see where this is going to lead-" Ben begins.

"And we are not taking a back seat" Alec finishes.

"Kittens" Dean sighs, "I-".

"No" Ben shakes his head.

"Jus-".

"No" Alec repeats.

"Can I-".

"No" Ben insists.

"Boys-".

"No" Alec growls.

"This could go on for a while" Sam leans back in his chair.

"Alec and I are stronger, faster and smarter than normal children dad" Ben points out.

"If this Shtriga is going after children, then it makes me and Ben the perfect bait" Alec says the thing that Dean was dreading to hear.

"Over my dead body" Dean glares, "neither of you are going near that thing".

"Yeah? Well we are not going anywhere either" Alec challenges, "we are helping on this hunt".

"And if it comes down to it, me and Alec will be bait to help kill it" Ben says with a firm voice.

"It's what you and uncle Sam would do. Be bait if needed".

"Because at the end of the day, we have to save the children".

Sam can practically see Dean freaking out over the thought of Ben and Alec being bait. He wasn't a fan of the idea himself, but he knows his brother. If he doesn't step in now, Dean will say something stupid in anger that's going to drive a wedge between him and the boys.

"Okay…why don't we table this discussion and come back to it if we need too" Sam tries to bring the tension down.

"We don't need to table this discussion because there's nothing to discuss" Dean says with a tight voice as he fixes Ben and Alec with an even stare, which both boys respond by crossing their arms and raising a single eyebrow. Their faces scream 'we'll-see-about-that'.

"Right" Sam clears his throat, "getting back on track, Shtrigas are '…invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man', or at least that's what it says here", he points to his laptop.

Dean frowns, "no, that's not right. She's vulnerable when she feeds".

"What?"

"If you catch her when she's eating you can blast her with consecrated wrought iron", Dean thinks for a second, "ahh…buckshot's or rounds I think".

"How do you know that?"

"Dad told me. I remember".

"Oh. Huh. So, uh, anything else Dad might have mentioned?"

"Nope, that's it".

Ben and Alec want to snort and roll their eyes, but refrain themselves. Their dad was clearly lying, and he wasn't even doing a good job of lying. He's been on edge since they found out what they are hunting, and both boys are sure that it's about more than him being worried about them being attacked by the Shtriga. Something else is bothering him.

"What?" Dean says defensively when he notices that Sam is staring at him.

"Nothing" Sam shakes his head. He knows Dean isn't saying something but he's not going to push him for now. "Okay. So, assuming we can kill it when it eats, we still gotta find the thing first, which ain't gonna be a cakewalk. Shtrigas take on a human disguise when they're not hunting".

"What kinda human disguise?" Ben asks.

"Historically, something innocent. Could be anything, but it's usually a feeble old woman, which might be how the witches as old crones legend got started".

Dean gets up and crosses the room, "hang on".

"What?"

"Check this out", Dean grans the map, "I marked down all the addresses of the victims. Now these are the houses that have been hit so far, and dead centre?"

"The hospital".

"The hospital. Now when we were there, I saw a patient, an old woman".

"An old person huh?" Sam bites his lip to prevent a smirk appearing on his face

"Yeah".

"In a hospital? Phew" Sam sniggers and shakes his head, "better call the Coast Guard".

"Dad…you do know that old people do tend to go to hospitals, right? You know…because they are old" Alec sasses.

Dean glares at the pair, "well listen, smart-as…bottoms, she had an inverted cross hanging on her wall"

Sam quickly loses his smirk and gets serious.

"Yeah, exactly".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is, chapter 1 of 2 for the episode. I hope you guys liked it and didn't mind that I didn't add Dean's flashbacks.
> 
> Can you guys guess which twin is going to be the one who replaces the boy in the bed. Will it be Ben or Alec? Because yeah, Dean's going to have no choice. One of his boy's is going to have to be bait.
> 
> Please kudos, bookmark and review!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	36. Something Wicked (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but here is the final chapter for this episode.
> 
> I wouldn't say I'm completely happy with this chapter, as I was having a little bit of writers block with this, but I don't think it turned out too bad, just not quite how I wanted it to be.
> 
> Anyway…
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 36.  
Episode 18 (Something Wicked).

The hospital had been a bust because the old woman was just an old woman…smelled like an old woman too much to Alec displeasure. However, when they got back to the motel it turns out that the Shtriga had attacked the motel owner's youngest son. Ben and Alec felt sorry for the poor woman because she seemed nice, and Dean…well Dean was more than pissed at this thing.

He took her up to the hospital to see her son while Sam and the twins headed to the library to try and get some more information on this monster.

Sam, Ben and Alec sit around one of the computers at the library, digging their way through any information they can find. Ben notes down, in his most recent notebook, all the places and years that the Shtriga has popped up.

Alec moves closer to Sam when his phone rings, so that he can hear his dad's side of the conversation as well, while Ben continues looking at the information on the computer.

"Hey. How's the kid?" Sam asks.

"He's not good", the strain on Dean's voice is easily heard through the phone, "where you at?"

"I'm at the library with the boys. We've been trying to find out as much as I can about this Shtriga".

"Yeah, what have you got?"

"Well, bad news. I started with Fort Douglas around the time you said Dad was there?"

"Yeah?"

"Same deal", Sam flicks through Ben's notes, "before that, there was, uh, Ogdenville, before that North Haverbrook, and Brockway. Every 15 to 20 years it hits a new town" Sam shakes his head and sighs, "Dean, this thing is just getting started in Fitchburg. In all these other places it goes on for months. Dozens of kids before the Shtriga finally moves on. The kids just…languish in comas and then they die".

"How far back's this thing go?"

"Ah, I don't know. The earliest mention I could find is this place called "Black River Falls" back in the 1890s. Talk about a horror sh-".

"Uncle Sam!" Ben's eyes widen as he looks at the picture of the doctor he saw at the hospital when they went to see the old woman. The doctor that was supposed to be looking after the children.

"Whoa" Sam sits straighter in his chair as he looks at the picture.

"Sam?" Dean's voice calls through the phone.

"Hold on…Ben's found a photograph on the computer and I'm looking at it right now, and it's of a bunch of doctors standing around a kid's bed. One of the Doctors is Hydecker".

"And?"

"And this picture was taken in 1893".

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah absolutely" Sam confirms before he hears Dean hang up.

Ben turns to Sam, "dad's not stupid enough to attack a doctor in the middle of a hospital…right?"

"This case does seem to be affecting him more than normal" Alec points out.

"We'd better head to the hospital and pick him up" Sam says hastily.

* * *

 

Sam enters their motel room first, followed by the twins and then Dean. Ben and Alec shrug off their jackets and take a seat on their dad's bed.

"We should have thought of this before. A doctor's a perfect disguise. You're trusted, you can control the whole thing" Sam says.

Dean throws his jacket off and starts pacing agitatedly, "that son of a bitch".

"I'm surprised you didn't draw on him right there".

"Yeah well, first of all, I'm not going to open fire in a freakin' paediatrics ward".

"Good call" Ben nods.

"Second, wouldn't have done any good, because the bastard's bullet proof unless he's chowing down on something. And third, I wasn't packing, which is probably a really good thing cause I probably would have just burned a clip in him on principle alone" Dean practically growls.

"You're getting wise in your old age Dean" Sam wants to smirk.

"Damn right. Cause now I know how we're going to get it…I don't like it, but I know how".

"How?" Alec frowns.

"Shtriga, works through siblings, right?"

"Right" Sam nods.

"Well last night…".

"It went after Asher".

"So tonight, it's going to go after Michael" Ben realises and he remembers the conversation they had yesterday about being bait.

"Well we gotta get him out of here" Sam says.

"…yeah…and replace him with Ben or Alec" Dean could barely get the words out. The thought of either of his boys being bait for the Shtriga made him feel cold all over…but it wasn't like they could have Michael be the bait.

"What? You wanna use the twins as bait? Are you nuts? No! Forget it. That's out of the question".

Ben and Alec's eyebrows shot up, almost comically, in surprise. They were more than hundred percent convinced that they would have had to fight their dad tooth and nail over letting them be bait because of how overprotective he is of them…yet here he is, being the one to actually suggest them being bait.

What the hell was going on with their dad. Ben and Alec look at each other and frown, they should feel over the moon that their dad is finally letting them have a bigger role in hunts…but they don't because something was up with their dad and it was unsettling. He's been acting odd since they found out what the monster was. It wasn't the same kind of odd that he was back when they had to go to Laurence and deal with the ghost in their old house. That was a more…panicked and anxiety ridden sort of odd.

This…was more like a skittish sort of odd. Or at least that was the best way they could describe it. It was like their dad wanted to be here and kill the Shtriga but at the same time it seems like he just wants to get out of here.

Something about this hunt, or maybe just this monster, had their dad uneasy, and neither boy liked it.

"It's not out of the question Sam it's the only way. If this thing disappears it could be years before we get another chance" Dean stands firm. Like hell did he want to use his kids as bait…but he can't let this son of a bitch walk away. Not again.

"Seriously Dean? Just yesterday you were saying that 'over your dead body' would you let the twins be used as bait" Sam stares at Dean in disbelief, "they are kids Dean! Your kids! I'm not going to dangle either of them in front of that thing like a worm on a hook".

"Dad did not send me here to walk away".

"Send  _you_  here? He didn't send you here…he sent us here".

"This isn't about you, Sam. I'm the one who screwed up, all right. It's my fault. There's no telling how many kids have gotten hurt because of me".

"What? How is this your fault dad?" Ben's eyebrows frown in confusion.

The room goes quiet for a minute and Sam sighs when he sees that Dean isn't going to answer Ben, "Dean. You've been hiding something from the get-go. Since when does Dad bail on a hunt? Since when does he let something get away? Now talk to me, man. Tell me what's going on".

Dean lowers his head and sighs, "Fort Douglas, Wisconsin. It was our third night in this crap room and I was climbing the walls. Man, I needed to get some air. I saw that you had fallen asleep…so I left, and I made sure to lock the door behind me…I just need to get out for a few minutes. There was this arcade game in the reception, so I started playing on that and before I knew it the owner says that they're closing, so I head back to the room".

Dean pauses for a moment and rubs a hand over his face, "when I got back to the room…there was this strange light coming from your room. When I got closer…that thing, the Shtriga, was leaning over you. I grabbed the rifle, but the son of a bitch heard me cock it and it looked up at me and…and I hesitated…but then dad came barging in and shot the thing a bunch of times. The bullets didn't damage it, the bastard just jump out the window and disappeared. You were okay, didn't know anything happened because you were still asleep until dad woke up to make sure the Shtriga didn't hurt you".

Dean takes in a deep breath to keep himself composed, "after that, dad just…grabbed us and booked. Dropped us off at Pastor Jim's about three hours away, but by the time he got back to Fort Douglas the shtriga had disappeared, it was just gone. It never surfaced until now. You know, Dad never spoke about it again, I didn't ask. But he…ah…he looked at me different, you know? Which was worse. Not that I blame him. He gave me an order and I didn't listen, I almost got you killed".

"You were just a kid" Sam says softly.

And that solves the mystery of why their dad is acting the way he is. The Shtriga almost killed uncle Sam and of course dad being who he is was obviously blaming himself for his brother almost getting killed. Dad feels like he failed…but uncle Sam is right, he was just a kid. It's not his fault, but Ben and Alec know that saying that to him won't make him think any different. Their dad has a guilt problem.

"Don't. Don't" Dean shakes his head, "dad knew this was unfinished business for me. He sent me here to finish it".

"But using the boys…I don't know Dean. I mean, how 'bout one of us hides under the covers, you know, we'll be the bait" Sam suggests.

"No, it won't work. It's gotta get close enough to feed…it'll see us. Believe me, I don't like it, but it's gotta be one of the boys".

"I can take Michael's place" Ben pipes up and he sees Sam frown and open his mouth. It's strange, he's used to reminding his dad that they are super soldiers and they'll be fine, not his uncle. "I'm a super solider, I'm faster and stronger than normal kids…I'm faster and stronger than you and dad. Plus, my healing ability and the fact that I've been trained by both Manticore and dad".

Sam groans, "you've made your case Squirt".

Ben grins, "So, it's settled? I'll take Michaels place".

"Wait a second" Alec butts in, "I want to be bait".

"No" Ben shakes his head.

"Yes" Alec frowns at his brother.

"No".

"Yes!"

"No, I'm the oldest, it's my job".

Alec groans, "you're only older than me by like…like…well I don't know, but obviously not by long".

"Doesn't matter, I'm the oldest so I'm doing this".

"That's not fair! You can't use the 'I'm-The-Oldest' card like that".

"I'm the big brother it's my job to keep you safe and you won't be safe if you're the bait".

Sam snorts, "he sounds just like you Dean".

"Unfortunately" Dean mumbles. This would be one of the few times he wishes his kids weren't like him.

"This isn't fair because now he's going to pull the 'Big-Brother' card whenever we go on hunts to stop me from getting to do anything" Alec pouts at Sam and Dean.

"Sorry to tell you this Al, but it's something you'll have to get uses to" Sam sighs, fully understanding the boy's annoyance. He's had 23 years of it.

"Plus, the Shtriga may find it a little odd that the kid he's about to drain of life has bright red hair" Ben adds.

"I'm annoyed at you" Alec glares at his brother, "I'm so annoyed at you that I'm having to count to twenty in my head…that's two sets of tens!"

Ben shrugs, he doesn't care as long as he's bait and Alec isn't, because it's his job to keep Alec safe. Like dad keeps uncle Sam safe, and the Michael kid looks out for his little brother.

"Okay" Dean sighs, "Ben will be bait…now we just need to talk to Michael so that we can get into his room to pull off this switch-a-roo and gank this monster".

* * *

 

Once they, Sam and Dean, had gotten Michael to believe that monsters in the closet are real, they were able to start setting up Michael's room with cameras so that they would be able to keep a close eye on Ben.

To be better safe than sorry, they decided that Michael would stay with them, sitting next to the pouting Alec, just encase the Shtriga could sense where the boy was. They didn't think that the Shtriga could sense the child, it just went for whatever child it could find, but it pays to be cautious.

So, Michael and the pouting Alec are currently sitting next to Sam, in the room next to Michael's bedroom, while Sam is checking the security feed he's getting from the camera's that Dean is putting up in Michael's room.

Dean finishes hooking up the camera in the corner and turns to Ben, who is sitting on Michael's bed, "this camera has night vision on it, so we'll be able to see clear as day…just like you and Al do", Dean raises his voice so that Sam can hear him, "are we good?"

"A hair to the right", Sam's voice calls from the other room and Dean adjust the camera, "there, there".

Dean moves away from the camera and his hand starts nervously tapping against his leg. He doesn't like this one bit.

"I'm going to be fine dad" Ben sees that his dad is trying to keep calm.

"What are you going to do?"

They have been over this plan a dozen times, but frankly even going over it a thousand times isn't going to satisfy Dean. Not when his son is bait for a life essence eating monster.

"I stay under the covers".

Dean sits on the bed next to Ben, "and if it shows up?"

"You and uncle Sam will be right next door and you'll come in gun's blazing if it shows up, and as soon as you come into the room, I will roll off the bed and crawl under it" Ben recites. He had tried to get dad to give him a gun so that he could shoot the Shtriga as he would have a good shot, but apparently there was only so much that his dad would 'allow' and that being bait was more than enough excitement for one hunt…his dad's words.

"And don't worry, neither me or uncle Sam will shoot you".

Ben smiles up at Dean, "I know you won't shoot me. You're good shots".

"Thanks Squirt", a soft smile twitches on Deans mouth as he ruffles Ben's hair, "just please, do  _not_  come out from under the bed until I say it's okay".

Ben nods.

"…Benny…are you sure you want to do this. You don't have to if you don't want to…I won't be mad or think of you as a 'bad solider', cause you're not".

"I'm sure dad, let's just get this son of a biscuit".

Dean snorts, "cute".

* * *

 

They have been waiting for the Shtriga to show up for almost five hours and Alec was way past feeling angsty. He didn't say it out loud, but he was scared for his brother. He didn't want Ben getting hurt, and that was part of the reason he wanted to be bait, but then his stupid brother had to play the stupid 'older-brother' card… He's barely older than him!

Now he's stuck in the next room waiting for a monster to show up to try and basically eat his brother soul, while he is stuck on babysitting duty…

Yeah, Alec was  _way_  past feeling angsty.

"What time is it?" Dean asks, his eyes never leaving the security feed from the camera.

"Three. You sure these iron rounds are gonna work?" Sam checks.

"Consecrated iron rounds, and yeah it's what Dad used last time".

"Hey Dean, I'm sorry".

"For what?"

"You know, I've really given you a lot of crap, for always following Dad's orders. But I know why you do it".

Alec fake coughs, "chic-flick moment", more fake coughing.

"Oh, god, kill me now" Dean shakes his head, a smirk on his face.

Sam laughs softly but doesn't make another comment, so the room falls into silence for a few moments.

"Wait, look" Dean leans forward, followed by Sam and Alec, to get a closer look at the camera footage.

"Is that the monster?" Michael asks in a hushed voice.

"Think so" Sam mumbles.

"Dad" the worry in Alec's voice is clear as they watch the window slide open.

"Don't worry" Dean says, as he and Sam pick up their guns and stand up, "I promise Ben's going to be just fine".

The Shtriga is now in Michaels room and is moving closer to Ben.

"Now?" Sam asks. He can feel panic creeping into his chest as the Shtriga get's closer to his nephew.

"Not yet" Dean can feel his heart beating erratically against his rib cage. He wants to burst in there now and empty his gun into the bastard, but he can't. If this thing gets away, then all the kids at the hospital are going to die. Michaels little brother will die.

Sam and Dean move towards the door to the bedroom so they can get inside quicker, and Dean briefly turns back to Alec, "keep your eyes on the camera footage. When the Shtriga starts to draw Bens energy, tell us".

"Got it".

"And stay with Michael, no matter what" the 'encase the Shtriga comes after him' part left unsaid.

The Shtriga is now standing over the bed and Ben slows his breathing down to keep himself calm. He's a super solider, he's not scared of this thing. He has complete trust in his dad and uncle that everything is going to be fine. He is going to do this and show his dad that he and Alec can do more on hunts.

He can sense the Shtriga lean over him and then he feels the duvet start to be pulled down away from his face, until he isn't hidden anymore and the Shtriga is standing so close to him…and yeah…okay, admittedly the Shtriga looks really creepy. Especially as it leans closer to his face.

As the Shtriga opens its mouth Ben freezes and starts to feel a little fuzzy.

"Dad now" Alec almost cries as he watches the Shtriga start to eat his brother's 'life essence'.

Sam and Dean burst into the room and Sam shouts, "hey!"

"Benny, down!" Dean yells.

Ben rolls off onto the floor, and crawls under the bed as Sam and Dean open fire on the Shtriga. Shooting it multiple times each, before it falls to the ground.

"Benny, you all right?" Dean asks.

"Yeah" calls from under the bed.

"Just sit tight" the Dean raises his voice, even though he knows Alec can hear him anyway, "Al, you stay there with Michael".

Dean approaches the Shtriga, his gun still raised. When the Shtriga shows no movement, he relaxes slightly and turns to Sam only for the Shtriga to suddenly jump up and grab him by the throat, throwing him against the wall.

"Dean!"

The Shtriga moves and throws Sam to the wall, knocking him down onto the bed. The Shtriga straddles Sam and forces his mouth open. Sam struggles to reach his gun but the Shtriga begins drawing his energy, silver mist floating from his mouth to the Shtriga, making him freeze and his skin start going grey.

Ben eyes the other gun that had been knock around in the scuffle. He shuffles closer to it and once it's in his hand, he slides it across the floor to Dean.

"Hey!" Dean growls, picking up the gun.

The Shtriga looks up at the interruption and Dean takes the opportunity to shoot it between the eyes, causing it to fall back and for Sam to gasp for a breath.

"You ok, little brother?"

Sam nods and unsteadily holds up two thumbs-up, that was a little close for comfort. They both pull themselves to their feet and look over at the Shtriga. All the children's energy the it had stolen begins to escape and Dean raises his gun, shooting the creature three more times, attempting to release his pent-up anger at it.

Once all the energy has left the Shtriga, it body starts collapsing and sinking in on itself until it just disintegrates.

"Dad?" Alec calls from the other room.

"It's okay Buddy, it's gone" Dean sighs, "you can come out to Benny".

Ben crawls out from under the bed and stands next to his dad with a grin on is face. Dean wraps Ben up into a side hug, letting out a breath of relief that he was okay. Then he stumbles back slightly as Alec barrels into him and Ben. The red headed boy throwing his arms around his brother, hugging him tight.

"I'm still annoyed at you" Alec mumbles into Ben's shoulder, "I'm just glad you're alive so that I can be annoyed at you".

Ben rolls his eyes.

"And I'm being bait next time".

"No".

"You can't play the 'Older-Brother' card every time".

"Watch me".

"I'm going to have to count to twenty again".

* * *

 

The twins help Sam and Dean pack up the Impala, shoving their duffels back into the truck and throwing their backpacks onto the back seats.

"You know dad" Ben turns to look up at Dean, "now that we've successfully done this hunt and proved that we are capable and useful-".

"Not that we had to because we are super soldiers, so we already knew we were capable and useful" Alec interrupts as he adjusts his hat.

"-you're going to have to let us help on hunts more" Ben finishes his sentence.

"Key word,  _us_ " Alec points out, "I didn't really get to actually do much this hunt, so I want more to do on the next hunt".

"Al, you may not have been involved with the action, but you stayed with Michael" Dean says, "that's what I wanted you to do and you followed what I said. You listened to me and didn't go against my orders showing me that I can trust you".

"And if you trust me…you'll let me do more on the next hunt?"

Dean sighs, "yes…if it isn't too dangerous".

And overprotective dad was back, Ben and Alec share an eyeroll. They had been wondering how long it would take for normal dad to make a reappearance and tell them they can't help on hunts because it's 'dangerous'.

"…I did do good though, didn't I dad?" Ben asks, biting his lip.

"You did more than good Squirt" Dean ruffles his hair.

"Dean" Sam nods his head in the direction of the reception. Dean looks to see Michael and Asher's mother, Joanna, heading towards them.

"Hey, Joanna. How's Asher doing?" Dean asks.

"Have you seen Michael?"

"Mom! Mom!" Michael runs up to the group.

Joanna hugs her son, "hey!"

"How's Ash?"

"Good news. Your brother's gonna fine".

Michael grins, "really?"

"Yeah. Really. No one can explain it…it's a miracle. They're going to keep him in overnight for observation and then he's coming home".

Dean and Sam share a look before Dean grins, "that's great".

"How are all the other kids doing?" Sam inquires.

"Good. Real good. A bunch of them should be checking out in a few days. Doctor Travis says the ward's going to be like a ghost town" Joanna smiles.

"Doctor Travis? What about Doctor Hydecker?"

"Oh, he wasn't in today. Must have been sick or something".

Dean shifts his feet slightly, "yeah. Yeah must have".

Joanna looks down at Michael, "so, did anything happen while I was gone?"

Michael glances at Sam and Dean briefly before shrugging at his mom, "nah, same old stuff".

"Ok, good" Joanna run's a hand threw Michaels hair, "you can go see Ash".

"Now?" Michael bounces on his feet with excitement.

"Only if you want to".

Michael doesn't answer, instead he runs over to the car.

"I'm going to take that as a yes" Dean chuckles.

Joanna laughs, "I…ah, I'd better get going before he hotwires the car and drives himself".

Alec's head perks up at that mention. Did Michael know how to hotwire a car too? If so, then he like the boy a little bit more than before.

After some mutters of goodbyes, Joanna leaves and heads towards her car.

"It's too bad" Sam sighs.

"Oh, they'll be fine" Dean says as he turns back around to face Sam and the Impala.

"That's not what I meant. I meant Michael. He'll always know there are things out there in the dark…he'll never be the same, you know?" Sam pauses, "…sometimes I wish that..."

"What…?"

"I wish I could have that kinda innocence" Sam frowns and then looks at the twins, "I wish you boys could have that innocence".

"Hate to break it to you uncle Sam" Ben begins slowly, "but we've never had that".

"A messed-up world is all we've ever known" Alec points out, "frankly, I'd take knowledge over innocence. More likely to be safer that way. Knowing what's out there means we can protect ourselves better".

"No…I wish you boys could have had some childlike innocence" Dean sighs…he really does wish his boys could have gotten the chance to have a proper childhood, "or just any kind of innocence about the world…I sometimes regret telling you boys about the supernatural because I feel like I took the last bit of innocence you had".

"No, you didn't" Alec shakes his head, "we are happy knowing about the supernatural".

"Trust us, any innocence we had died long before we met you" Ben insists.

Dean nods sorrowfully, not actually agreeing with the twins.

"I wish you could have that innocence too, Sam" Dean says softly.

Sam and Dean exchange a look, the mood now somber.

"You sure now how to liven the party uncle Sam" Alec mutters.

Sam bitch faces the boy, "shut up, carrot top".

Alec glares at Sam, while Dean and Ben start to snigger, "ha…freakin…ha", Alec huffs.

"One of the best pranks ever" Dean grins as the four Winchesters finally climb inside the Impala, and he starts the engine, pulling away from the motel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we've started to see Ben and Alec (or at least Ben) become more involved in the hunts, and I promise that their involvement will continue, and they will have more to do in future hunts, even if it means going against Dean's orders *insert gasp of horror*.
> 
> The next episode will be episode 20, Dead Man's Blood. Which means grandpa John will be back!
> 
> Please kudos, bookmark and review if you can. Seeing your lovely reviews always puts me in a good mood.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	37. Episode 20, Dead Man's Blood (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> In this chapter our little kittens finally get middle names, so, Dean can middle-name them when they've been little rascals. Plus, it's not long now till the end of season 1!
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Chapter 37.  
Episode 20 (Dead Man's Blood).

Alec slurps on his milk as he flicks through one of the newspapers, looking for anything that could be a hunt. Ben bites on his lip and tries to focus out Alec's horrible drinking sounds as he also searches in one of the newspapers for a hunt. They are sat around a table in a café with Sam and Dean, who are also searching for a hunt. Though none of them are having much luck.

Dean sighs and folds up his newspaper, "well dude. Not a decent lead in all of Nebraska. What've you got?"

Sam looks up from his laptop, "well, I've been scanning Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota. Here. A woman in Iowa fell 10,000 feet from an airplane and survived".

"Sounds more like 'That's Incredible' than 'Evil Monster' though" Ben points out.

"Yeah".

Dean smirks, "hey you know we could just keep heading east. New York. Upstate. We could drop by and see Sarah again. Huh? Cool chick man, smoking", he whistles, "you two seemed pretty friendly. What do you say?"

Alec groans and shivers at the memory. A couple of weeks ago they were in New Paltz, New York because a couple had been found dead in their home with all the windows and doors locked. Grandpa had kept some notes in his journal about a few other murders in the same area, years ago, that happened the same way. Turns out there was a crazy murderous little girl in a painting that had killed her family and was now killing anyone who bought said painting.

…Yeah, some of the kids at Manticore could get a little…violent, but not slit a whole bunch of people's throats violent… Well, unless they were ordered to do it for training or a mission.

Anyway, during the hunt there was a woman, Sarah, whose father owned the auction house that the painting was being sold. She was admittedly kinda cool and badass because she took 'the painting is haunted' talk pretty well and she wanted to help stop the painting.

They kinda of like Sarah a little bit.

The only thing that they didn't like about her was the fact that her and uncle Sam seemed to  _'like'_  each other. Their dad was totally encouraging it the whole time! They even went on a date…sure it was at the start of the hunt to get information, but still!

And they kissed!

On the mouth!

It was horrifying.

Alec swears that he threw up in his mouth.

Their dad was proud of uncle Sam.  _Proud_ … For what? Proud for him getting cooties? Nope! They need to find a hunt so they can't visit Sarah and uncle Sam can't get anymore cooties.

"Yeah, I dunno, maybe someday" Sam shrugs, "but in the meantime we got a lot of work to do Dean, and you know that".

Dean rolls his eyes but gives in, "yeah all right. What else you got?"

"Ahh, man in Colorado, local man named Daniel Elkins, was found mauled in his home".

"Elkins? I know that name".

"Doesn't ring a bell".

"No…I remember it from somewhere too" Ben tilts his head trying to remember why it was familiar.

"Elkins...Elkins...Elkins" Dean mutters under his breath.

"Sounds like the police don't know what to think. At first, they said it was some sort of bear attack and now, they've found some signs of robbery" Sam goes on.

"Mm-hmm" Dean hums as he starts flicking through their dad's journal till he stops at a page, "there, check it out".

Dean passes the journal over to Sam and points to the page. The twins lean over, either side of Sam, to look and see Dean pointing to a line that says,  _'D Elkins 970-555-0158'_.

"You think it's the same Elkins?" Sam asks.

"It's a Colorado area code".

"Plus, it can't be a coincidence because let's face it; when do those ever happen to us" Alec points out.

"Never" Ben shakes his head.

* * *

 

The four Winchesters make their way to Elkins cabin, the twins using their night vision to check the surrounding area to make sure that their alone. As the get to the door, Sam pulls out his lock picking tools, but Alec puts his hand out for them.

"No offence uncle Sam, but you know that I can do it faster" Alec shrugs, "plus I can do it without the need for a flashlight".

Sam sighs and hands Alec the tools. Bending down, Alec swiftly picks the lock in a few seconds and then grins up at Sam and Dean.

"Good job Monkey" Dean ruffles Alec's hair before flicking on his flashlight and pushing open the door. He looks around at the mess, "looks like the maid didn't come today".

"Hey, there's salt over here. Right beside the door" Sam points out.

Dean picks up Elkins journal, "you mean protection against demon salt, or 'oops I spilled the popcorn' salt?"

"It's clearly a ring".

"So, Elkins was a hunter?" Alec asks.

"Definitely" Dean shows Elkins journal.

"That looks like grandpa's journal" Ben tilts his head.

"Yep, except this dates back to the 60's".

"Whoa…how old was this dude" Alec mutters.

The group continues to move around and look at the destruction in the cabin.

"Whatever attacked him, it looks like there was more than one" Sam looks up at the hole in the roof.

"Looks like he put up a hell of a fight too".

"Yeah".

Ben looks around and notices some scratches on the floor, "dad".

"You got something squirt?" Dean looks over at his son.

"There are some scratches on the floor over here" Ben crouches down to get a closer look as Dean comes over to have a look as well.

"Death throes maybe?" Sam wonders.

"Yeah, maybe" Dean mutters, squinting at the marks, "Al, can you grab me some paper and a pencil".

Alec quickly looks around the mess of a room and finds what Dean needs. He tears out a page from a notebook and grabs one of the pencils that are scattered across the desk. Dean places the paper over the marks on the floor and rubs the pencil over it to get the outline.

"Or maybe a message" Dean peels the paper away from the scratches, which now has a lot of blood on the back of it, and hands it over to Sam, "look familiar?"

"Three letters, six digits. The location and combination of a post office box" Sam nods.

"It's a mail drop" Ben realises.

"Just the way Dad does it" Dean stands up and looks at Sam, "Now we know where we need to go next".

* * *

 

Alec twists his mouth into a frown as Sam and Dean walk across the road towards the post office, because he and Ben have been left in the Impala…again. Their dad had said that there was no point in them coming in as they'd only be a few minutes as they grab whatever Elkins has left.

Ben twitches in his seat, tilts his head to the side and looks out the window as he feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"You feel it too, right?" Alec asks as he narrows his eyes as he looks at the window into the trees.

"The feeling of being watched? Yeah" Ben nods.

The twins look at each for a moment before turning and pushing open their doors and jumping out of the Impala.

"Dad is going to be pissed that we did this" Ben sighs as he closes his door.

"Boo hoo" Alec rolls his eyes as his door slams shut, "something is out here".

The twins carefully look to the trees, their enhanced hearing picking up shuffling and then the crackles of small twigs being stepped on. Ben and Alec quickly blur off in that direction and within seconds they crash into what was watching them.

…Well…more like, who was watching them.

"Bloody hell, you two are heavy" John groans from the bottom of the pile.

"Grandpa?" Ben pushes himself off John and on to his knees next to him.

"Paternal forebear!" Alec grins, though doesn't make to move off John.

John rolls his eyes, "Alec".

"Yes?"

"Get off".

Alec pouts but complies. He stands up and helps John to his feet.

"What are you doing here?" Ben asks, standing up and brushing the dirt off his jeans.

"I heard about Daniel. Him and I used to know each other quite well" John frowns, "He taught me a lot".

"Oh…sorry for your loss".

"Unfortunately, that's not uncommon for this business" John sighs.

"Alec! Ben!" they hear Sam and Dean yell.

"Come on you two" John says, "we'd better get to them before your dad freaks out more then he already is, since I'm guessing you were supposed to say in the car".

"…maybe" Alec shrugs and hides his cheeky grin.

John gives Alec a pointed look, causing the boy to sigh and take the hand that John is holding out. Ben grabs Johns other hand and the three of them head back to the Impala.

* * *

 

Sam and Dean exit the post office with matching confused frowns on their faces, carrying the letter that Elkins left, as they walk back towards the Impala.

"So, 'J.W.' You think? John Winchester?" Sam wonders.

"I don't know. Should we open it?" Dean asks before looking at the Impala as they reach it.

Dean pauses in his step as he notices that the back seats look empty. He rushes forward and opens the back door to check that the boys weren't just laying down. A cold wash of dread freezes Dean's blood.

"They're gone" Dean gasps, "Sam! The boys are gone!"

"What!" Sam's eyes widen in shock as he looks into the back of the Impala and sees for himself that the twins aren't there.

"They're gone. Somethings happened to them. A demon's taken them…or Manticore…or-".

"Dean take a breath for a second, okay".

"Okay? It's not okay!"

"I'm not saying it's okay Dean!" Sam huffs. He knows that his brother isn't thinking clearly and is panicking, so as much as he wants to panic, he has to stay calm, "we've only been gone five minutes, so they can't be far. There isn't a sulfur smell so demons haven't taken them-".

"Manticore-"

"If Manticore was here then I'm sure the boys would have ran into the post office to us" Sam watches Dean take in a deep breath before he continues, "Alec probably saw something and ran off, you know what Alec's like, and Ben most likely ran after him to try and get him back".

Dean lets out a long breath while nodding. He still feels sick to his stomach and the feel of dread was still firmly running throughout his body, but what Sam is saying makes sense…but, Christ! Having kids was terrifying. The things they make you feel…the overwhelming panic and horror. If hunting doesn't kill him, a heart attack caused by the twins will.

"Alec! Ben!" Dean yells and Sam quickly joins in, "Alec! Ben!"

When he gets his hands on the pair of them, he's going to kill them… Okay no, he's going to hug them and thank God, if he believed in him, that they are alright. Then he's going to kill them and find a way to bright them back to life so that he can ground their sorry little as-butts!

"Alec! Be-"

"Hey dad" Alec's voice calls and Sam and Dean heads snap up to see Alec and Ben walking out from the trees…with John.

"Dad?" Dean blinks.

"Wh…" Sam stands shocked staring at his dad.

"I'm sorry we left the car dad" Ben begins, "it's just we felt someone watching us after you and uncle Sam went inside, so we went to investigate, and it turns out it was just grandpa".

"Who's here because of Elkins" Alec adds.

"Why don't we take this conversation to the car. It'll be a little more private" John suggests.

"Okay, but don't think that I'm going to forgot about the two of you leaving the Impala without my permission, Benjamin Robert and Alec Jonathon Winchester" Dean wags his finger between the twins.

Sam, John, Ben and Alec all look at Dean with varying degrees of 'what-the-fuck' faces.

"What? I have been saying that they needed middle names so that I can middle name them when they don't listen" Dean defends himself.

"So…Robert and Jonathon" Sam tries to hide his amused grin.

"Shut up".

"After grandpa and Bobby, right?" Ben's smile is huge, and his delight is shining in his eyes.

"…maybe".

"I'm honoured and I'm sure Bobby will be as well" John twitches a smile, "but we should still take this to the car".

The five Winchester quickly climb into the Impala, with John sat in between Ben and Alec in the back, and Sam and Dean turned around in there's so that they can see John.

"Dad, what are you doing here? Are you all right?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I read the news about Daniel, I got here as fast as I could. I saw you four at his place".

"Why didn't you come in Dad?"

"You know why. Because I had to make sure you weren't followed…by anyone or anything. Nice job of covering your tracks by the way.

Dean tries to hide how proud that makes him feel, "yeah, well, we learned from the best".

"Wait, you came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?" Sam questions.

"Yeah. He was…he was a good man. He taught me a hell of a lot about hunting" John says.

"Well you never mentioned him to us".

"We had a…we had kind of a falling out. I hadn't seen him in years".

"Kinda like with Bobby?" Ben tilts his head.

"Yeah…only he never pulled a shotgun on me" John looks at the letter in Dean's hand, "I should look at that", Dean passes the letter over and John opens it and starts to read it out loud, " _'If you're reading this, I'm already dead'_ …" John continues reading but not out loud until he gets to the end, "that son of a bitch".

"Language…and what is it?" Dean asks and Sam whips his head to look at him. He can't believe he just said language to their dad.

John shakes his head, "he had it the whole time".

"Dad, what?" Sam turns back to John.

"When you searched the place, did you, did you see a gun? An antique, a Clot revolver, did you see it?"

"Ah, there was…there was an old case, but it was empty" Dean shakes his head.

"They have it".

"You mean whatever killed Elkins?" Alec asks.

"We gotta pick up the trail".

"We?" both Ben and Alec grin. There was no way in hell that they were going to miss out on this hunt. Not on a hunt with John. Dean can try and stop them, but they are going to help. It'll be like a family outing or something. All of them together, working a case.

"Wait. You want us to come with you?" Sam clarifies.

"If Elkins was telling the truth, we gotta find this gun".

"The gun…why?"

"Because it's important, that's why".

"That doesn't really explain much" Alec rolls his eyes and ignores John's glare.

"Dad, we don't even know what these things are yet" Sam shakes his head.

"They were what Daniel Elkins killed best: Vampires" John reveals.

"Vampires? Like with the fangs", Alec raises his hands to his face and uses his fingers to mimic vampire fangs, "and the blood sucking?"

"Yes, with the fangs and the blood sucking".

"Vampires? I thought there was no such thing" Dean interrupts.

"You never even mentioned them, Dad" Sam frowns.

"I thought they were extinct. I thought Elkins and other hunters had wiped them out. I was wrong".

"So, if you thought that they were extinct, do you know anything about them?" Ben asks.

"Yeah, most vampire lore that you'll find is crap. A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them, and neither will a stake to the heart. But the bloodlust, that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive" John explains, "they were once people, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late".

"Well, that's just swell" Alec sighs and slumps in his seat.

* * *

 

John leans back in the chair as he listens to the radio, waiting for any kind of news that could be a sign of vampires. He looks over at the beds, and a small, relaxed smile finds its way on to his lips at the sight of the boys all fast asleep. Especially at the sight of Dean being buried by the twins in the bed.

Ben is curled up on Dean's right, his head snuggled into Dean's neck and his arm draped over his upper chest. Alec on the other hand is practically lay on top of Dean, with one of his legs sticking out of the bed. John shakes his head in amusement, he has no idea how that boy is comfortable...or how Dean is comfortable under the boys.

"Unit 22 let me confirm. Mile marker 41, abandoned car. You need a workup?" A dispatcher's voice crackles from the radio.

"Copy that. Possible 207. Better get forensics out here" another voice answers.

And the nice, peaceful family moment is over. John jumps to his feet and grabs his jacket, the sudden rush off movement and sound disrupt Ben and Alec from their sleep.

"Grandpa?" Ben pushes himself up in the bed and Alec rolls off Dean.

"The vampires have attacked, we gotta go check it out" John slaps Sam and Dean's feet as he call's their names, "Sam, Dean. Let's go".

Dean immediately responds, though he's still half asleep as he rubs his eyes, "Mm-hmm".

Sam half sits up, "dad?"

"I picked up a police call" John throws on his jacket on.

"What happened?" Sam asks.

"A couple called 911, found a body in the street. Cops got there everyone was missing. It's the vampires".

Sam stands up from the bed, "how do you know?"

"Just follow me, ok?" John says as he leaves the room.

Ben and Alec frown as they shove their boots on. It would have been nice for John to explain a little more before swanning off out the door. They like to be a bit more briefed on what's going on. It helps to stop things going wrong on a hunt...or more wrong anyway, and with the luck this family has, they need all the help they can get.

Sam shrugs his jacket on and holds out the twin's coats for them.

"Huh, vampires. Gets funnier every time I hear it" Dean mutters.

* * *

 

Ben and Alec, for once, aren't as mad that they are sat in the Impala. Mostly because Sam and Dean as also sat in the Impala waiting for John to finish talking to the cop. So…Alec may, or may not, be sat with a satisfied smirk on his face. The leavers have become the lefties. Or something like that. It was a taste of their own medicine.

"I don't see why we couldn't have gone over with him" Sam tries to hide the fact that he's sulking, but the tone of his voice gives him away.

"Oh, don't tell me it's already starting" Dean groans as he opens his door and gets out to meet John as he makes his way over.

"What's starting?" Sam huffs as he climbs out too.

While they've never been directly told about the whole 'Sam and John' thing, the twins know quite a bit about it from all the little bits of information they've gathered over the year. The main bit of information being that Sam and John butt heads…a lot, like more then they do with each other.

And if the head butting is starting already, in less than 24 hours, then this could be a long and difficult hunt. Ben was sending a small prayer to the Blue Lady that they can hopefully get along and solve this hunt, with minimal fights.

"What have you got?" Dean asks John.

Ben and Alec quickly lean out of the window so that they can be a part of the conversation.

"It was them all right. Looks like they're heading west. We'll have to double back to get around that detour".

"How can you be so sure?" Sam questions.

"Sam…" Dean warns.

"I just wanna know we're going in the right direction" Sam says sharply to Dean.

"We are".

Yes please…don't give any more information. Alec huffs, okay…yeah, he can see how Sam finds this annoying. Not being told everything.

"How do you know?" Sam continues.

John hands something over to Dean, "I found this".

"It's a…a vampire fang" Dean holds up the fang to look at it clearly.

"Not fangs, teeth. The second set descends when they attack" John informs them, then turns to look at Sam, "any more questions?"

Sam looks away and doesn't answer, but the twins can clearly see his pissed off bitch face.

"All right, let's get out of here, we're losing daylight", John heads back over to his truck, "hey Dean, why don't you touch up your car before you get rust? I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were going to ruin it".

Dean looks down at Baby and Sam gives Dean his 'told-you-so' face.

* * *

 

Sam, for a change, is driving the Impala as they follow behind John. Dean hopes that if Sam is focusing on driving, he won't have time to bitch about dad.

" _Vampires nest in groups of eight to ten_ " Ben reads out loud," _Smaller packs are sent to hunt for food. Victims are taken to the nest where the pack keeps them alive, bleeding them for days or weeks_ ".

"I wonder if that's what happened to that 911 couple" Alec says.

"That's probably what Dad's thinking. Course it would be nice if he just told us what he thinks" Sam huffs.

"So, it is starting" Dean rolls his eyes in annoyance.

"What?"

"Sam, we've been looking for Dad all year. Now, we're with him for more than a couple of hours and there's static already?"

"No. Look, I'm happy he's ok, all right? And I'm happy that we're all working together again".

"Well good" Dean hopes that's going to be that. He knows it's not, because he knows his brother, but he can hope.

Both Ben and Alec can tell that Sam isn't going to be able to keep his mouth shut, because he's Sam.

"It's just the way he treats us, like we're children" Sam's hands tighten on the steering wheel.

"Oh God" Dean groans.

Ben and Alec share a look. As much as they want to point out the they both treat them like children…it probably wouldn't help them…since they are  _technically_ children.

"He barks orders at us Dean, he expects us to follow them without question. He keeps us on some crap need-to-know deal" Sam snaps.

"To be fair" Alec knows he should keep his mouth shut…but he's Alec. When does he ever keep his mouth shut, "it's annoying that he doesn't explain everything. I mean, for hunters, isn't e _verything_  technically need to know?"

Dean turns in his seat, "you, do not get involved in this", he turns back to Sam, "he does what he does for a reason".

"What reason?"

"Our job! There's no time to argue, there's no margin for error, all right? That's just the way the old man runs things" Dean glares at Sam.

"Plus, he does what he does to protect us" Ben points out.

"We aren't kids anymore, we don't need protecting and yeah, maybe that worked when we were kids but not anymore, all right. Not after everything you and I have been through, Dean. I mean, are you telling me you're cool with just falling into line, and letting him run the whole show?" Sam challenges Dean.

"…if that's what it takes" Dean says weakly.

"I know you can lie better than that dad" Alec give him a pointed look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the first chapter. I'm thinking that this'll probably be a 3 chapter episode. As you may have been able to see in this chapter, Alec is siding a little more with Sam, while Ben is hoping for peace but is kinda understanding why John does what he does. Though, he doesn't enjoy being left in the dark and only told bits of information. Poor Benny just wants everyone to get along.
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter and John's return. I like having grandpa John around and I feel sad that I'm going to have to kill him soon.
> 
> Anyway, please kudos, bookmark and review. You guys know how much I love your comments!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


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